


from the ashes

by Spikedluv



Series: from the ashes series [1]
Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV), Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Canon Divergent, Community: capreversebb, M/M, Post-TWS Fix-It, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-06
Updated: 2019-06-06
Packaged: 2020-04-08 10:26:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 34,048
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19105237
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spikedluv/pseuds/Spikedluv
Summary: Even now HYDRA is, unsurprisingly, still trying to create their own super soldiers.  What might be surprising is that their current batch are still children and they bear a striking resemblance to Steve Rogers.  AKA the one where Bucky Barnes rescues children from HYDRA and gives them to Steve to protect.





	1. Ambushes, Booby Traps & Diapers

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [artwork for "from the ashes"](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19109329) by [auntiesuze](https://archiveofourown.org/users/auntiesuze/pseuds/auntiesuze). 



> Written for the CapReverseBB on Tumblr (caprbb on DW).
> 
> Title taken from Kris Allen's 'From the Ashes'.
> 
> I did not use any warnings because I didn't think any were warranted, but if there is something you find triggering and think should be warned for, please let me know.
> 
> Posted: June 6, 2019
> 
> Huge thanks to Auntiesuze for creating the most adorable art! No lie, it was my first choice during claims and I was absolutely thrilled to get it. (That piece of art is embedded in the story. She also made me this lovely cover which makes me squee whenever I look at it.) Additionally, Auntiesuze was also a great sounding board for ideas and a pleasure to work with. <3 Check out her [art post](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19109329) and give her some well-deserved love.
> 
>  
> 
> [](https://imgur.com/auSuR3K)  
> 
> 
>  
> 
> Time falls like sand  
> Watch it fallin'  
> Right through our hands
> 
> Could we be most afraid of what will save us  
> Breakdown to find out what we're really made of  
> If we're standing on the edge  
> Hold on when it crashes  
> Could we rise up from the ashes
> 
> It's crazy after everything we've planned  
> How it feels like we are never gonna get there  
> Standing on the bridge, watching it burn  
> No more yesterday tomorrow's all that matters
> 
> ~Kris Allen, From The Ashes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve discovers HYDRA's plan to create their own super soldiers by cloning existing super soldiers, including Steve. And then he meets one of those successful attempts when Bucky delivers a 6-month old child he calls 'Stevie' to Steve for safe-keeping. Steve wants to go back out to help Bucky, but now he has Stevie to worry about.

It felt to Steve as if he’d been looking for Bucky for ages. The only thing that made the search bearable was the fact that they were finding and destroying HYDRA bases along the way. And the fact that Bucky was still out there; alive and free. Which Steve knew because Bucky left him, them, the occasional message.

“The Winter Soldier leaving a few scientists alive so we can question them isn’t a love letter, Rogers,” Sam said once, but had later been forced to admit that a thumb drive with the location of dozens of HYDRA bases “might be.”

Steve had just smiled and sent a copy of the files to Tony. The list sent them to South America. Natasha joined them for their next mission, a base in Uruguay, just in case the information on the thumb drive was a trap. It hadn’t been, but the following mission, at a base in northern Argentina, was. Just not for them.

They’d cleared the base (except for the secret room they hadn’t known about) and were in the process of copying files from the still-intact computers (which should’ve been their first clue that the base hadn’t been abandoned) for Tony and JARVIS to go through when a HYDRA Strike Team attacked them. Steve was momentarily stunned when a masked and armored soldier joined them.

“Bucky?” Steve said, but the soldier remained silent.

Natasha intercepted the soldier before he could attack Steve, and Steve recovered enough to help Sam hold off the non-enhanced soldiers. Tony’s voice squawked from the speakers as he watched via Stark-time, or whatever he called it. Suddenly Sam slapped a gas mask against Steve’s chest. Steve slipped the mask on just as gas started spraying from nozzles in the ceiling.

“That won’t kill them, will it?” Steve said worriedly, diving for Bucky as the soldier continued to fight despite the gas.

JARVIS assured Steve that it wouldn’t, but Steve caught Bucky as he finally dropped to the effects of the gas and checked his pulse. As soon as JARVIS was certain that their attackers were unconscious, he turned off the gas and turned on fans that sucked the gas back out of the room. The moment JARVIS gave the all clear, Steve flipped off the gas mask and reached for the mask covering Bucky’s face. Steve broke the clasp and shoved the mask off. He froze.

“That’s not Barnes,” Sam said.

“Thank god,” Steve said, slumping with relief. He’d been incandescent with rage and fear at the thought that Bucky had been recaptured and was back under HYDRA’s control.

“You know what that means,” Natasha said.

“What?” Steve extricated himself from the soldier and gently laid the man’s head on the floor even though it wasn’t Bucky.

“Barnes wasn’t the only one in the Winter Soldier program.”

“Shit,” Sam said. “Why is this the first time we’ve run into another one of them?”

“Why did we run into them now?” Steve said, looking around the computer lab where they’d been ambushed.

“Could they have left the information about the bases behind as a trap and just now caught up with us?” Sam said.

“I don’t think they were after you guys,” Tony interrupted their guesses.

“What do you mean?” Natasha said.

“Show them, JARVIS.”

One of the computer screens lit up and the three of them watched as the scene played out. They’d been surprised at the attack, but the expressions on the HYDRA soldiers’ faces when they saw who was in the room was unmistakable. They hadn’t expected to find Steve, Sam and Natasha. But the only other person who was hitting HYDRA bases was . . .

“They were after Bucky,” Steve said.

“Why’d they think Barnes would be here?” Sam said.

“Bucky’s been destroying HYDRA bases,” Steve said. Sometimes just one step ahead of them.

“Yeah, but why did they expect to find him at this specific base?” Natasha said.

Steve glanced around. “There must be something here that would be of particular interest to Bucky.” His gaze fell on the heap of soldiers. “We need to restrain these guys before they wake up, then I’m going to do another, more thorough, search of the base.”

They disarmed and cuffed the human soldiers. Natasha produced a pair of Hulk-proof restraints for the Winter Soldier.

“Where did you . . . never mind,” Steve said. “Sam, you stay here in case somebody else shows up. Make sure Tony gets all the files. Natasha, call your friend and have someone pick up these guys for questioning.”

Steve gave the unconscious super soldier one last look, then started his search in the lab attached to the computer room because the HYDRA soldiers had known they were there. Had expected that Bucky would be there. They’d cleared the lab, but Steve hadn’t paid much attention to what it had been used for aside from seeing lab tables with sinks covered with beakers and notebooks, and a wall lined with storage cabinets.

Now Steve’s gaze scoured the room and he opened every cabinet, carefully not touching anything with his bare skin just in case. At the far end of the room was a thick metal door that appeared at first glance to lead to a cooler for whatever supplies the lab required. Steve tried the handle, but the door was locked.

“Tony,” Steve said. “Have you found blueprints yet?”

“Yes, Captain Rogers,” JARVIS said.

“Good.” Steve didn’t bother telling JARVIS (for the millionth time) that he could just call him Steve. “What’s behind this door?”

“It’s a small room,” JARVIS said. “It’s labeled as storage, but there’s a lot of power going to the room for it to merely be a storage room.”

“Is there a security camera?”

A few seconds later Tony said, “You’re not going to believe this.”

The door unlocked with a loud click and swung open. Neither Tony nor JARVIS indicated that there was any danger behind the door, but Steve held his shield in front of him defensively anyway. He stepped into the room and paused. Natasha was suddenly beside him, her hand on his arm.

“It’s a nursery,” Natasha said. She moved farther into the room while Steve remained frozen in place. Natasha glanced into each empty bassinet and checked each blank monitor.

“What were they doing with a nursery?” Steve said. The silence that greeted his question confirmed his horrible suspicion. A nursery connected to a lab could only mean one thing.

“It looks like they were trying to create their own super soldier from scratch, so to speak,” Sam said. “Files are all downloaded,” he added when Steve turned to look at him.

Steve nodded, but he wasn’t thinking about that. He was still wondering why HYDRA had expected Bucky to show up there.

~*~*~*~

Steve refused to stop searching for Bucky. Or taking down HYDRA bases, as he framed it to both Sam and Natasha, though both knew his real reason for being out there. However, given what had happened in Argentina, Steve did agree to accept more help from Tony. Technically, from Maria Hill, who still had contacts which gave them access to satellite footage and infrared images so they could better reconnoiter the bases before they went in.

The next base they hit was in Bolivia. It was empty and the computers had all been removed. They got what little information they could from the place – number of bunks, size of the armory, photos of the lab that might give them an idea of what it had been used for – then set the charges that would make sure the base was unusable to HYDRA in the future.

The base in Peru was not abandoned, but at least they had a heads up before they entered it. Also, Tony showed up in his Iron Man suit to assist. They were still there when nu!SHIELD, as Sam had started calling it, arrived to take custody of the HYDRA prisoners. Steve raised a hand to return Clint’s greeting, his jaw clenching as a very much alive Phil Coulson walked down the ramp behind Clint.

Natasha walked over to the Bus to greet Clint with a hug and Coulson with a handshake. Two agents – Melinda May and a former hacker named Skye – passed the small group and started loading up the prisoners.

Tony leaned against the quinjet beside Steve. “I still can’t believe Fury lied to us about Coulson.”

Steve snorted.

“Point taken. At least now we know where Clint was while HYDRA was trying to take over the world.”

Steve took a deep breath. He knew that Natasha had kept secrets from him in the past because their agendas (or rather, his and Fury’s) hadn’t always been the same. He was trying to let go of the hurt that Coulson being alive and Clint’s whereabouts had been part of those secrets. He consoled himself that at least Natasha hadn’t returned to nu!SHIELD when it became clear that Fury was trying to rebuild, this time with Coulson as the director.

Before they left, Clint came over to where Steve and Tony stood, presenting a surprisingly united front given their contentious first meeting. Sam and Natasha trailed behind him. Clint shook both their hands. He indicated the base that still stood – for the moment. “You guys have been busy.”

“It’s cathartic,” Sam said. “For Steve.”

“I get that,” Clint said. “We’ve been busy on our end, too, digging out HYDRA, but if you ever need help with more than prisoner transport, let me know.”

“You just want to shoot things,” Natasha said.

“You’re not wrong.” Clint kissed Natasha on the cheek, waved at the rest of them, and jogged back to the Bus where Coulson waited for him at the top of the ramp.

Steve had asked Natasha once what she thought of SHIELD being reformed. She’d shrugged. “I can’t forget that HYDRA hid inside SHIELD the first time, but I trust Coulson to do it right. He might be the only one I would trust.”

“But you’re not joining back up?”

“I need some time.”

They hadn’t spoken of it since, not even when Natasha had first suggested they call in nu!SHIELD (“New and improved,” Clint had said the first time he’d heard Steve use the term. “One hundred percent less HYDRA.”) to take the captured HYDRA agents off their hands the first time there were survivors. Now Tony waited until the Bus took off before saying, “We need to talk.”

Steve’s head turned so fast he heard the tendons in his neck click. “You found something?”

“Not here,” Tony said. “We need to be sitting down for this. Maybe with a beer. Or something stronger.”

Natasha pressed the button that brought down the base with a rumble that grew and culminated in a cloud of dust and entered the quinjet. Steve waited to confirm that the base was a pile of rubble before following the others up the ramp.

~*~

Steve stared unseeing at the laptop screen where the information Tony was giving them verbally scrolled past. It didn’t surprise Steve that HYDRA hadn’t given up on creating the perfect super soldier, or that they’d used the DNA of their existing super soldiers in the attempt. The thought that HYDRA had most likely used Bucky’s DNA in their nefarious plan reverberated in Steve’s mind until it was all he could hear.

Steve wasn’t even surprised to learn how they’d treated their ‘failures’, but it made him want to throw up. Instead of giving in to the urge he said, “How does this explain why they had a strike team waiting to take out Bucky?”

“I don’t know,” Tony said. “Maybe they knew it was a place he might remember.”

“Would they have taken him there for the . . . procedure?”

“They wouldn’t need to,” Natasha said. “They’d only need samples. Skin, hair . . . And they could have easily gotten that.”

Steve ground his teeth. It still didn’t make sense that they’d sprung the ambush there.

“Do you think there are other labs out there?” Sam said. “And where did they take the kids when they were out of what passed for a nursery?”

“Is there any way we can get that information from the thumb drive? Steve said.

“The thumb drive only contains a list,” Tony said. “There’s nothing about the individual bases themselves other than their location.”

“What about the information you got off the computers?”

“JARVIS is still going through it all. So far there’s nothing about additional labs or, uh, training facilities,” Tony said.

Steve was frustrated – that he couldn’t find Bucky, that there was nothing he could do except follow the information Bucky had given them. Sometimes Steve couldn’t help feeling that Bucky was keeping Steve busy with HYDRA bases on purpose, so he couldn’t put all his efforts into finding Bucky.

“Alright, thank you, Tony. Let me know if you find anything else.”

“I will. You know, you guys could come back to the Tower to rest. You all look like you could use a break.”

“I can’t stop. Sam and Natasha can go back if they want to,” Steve offered, knowing as he did so that neither one of them would take him up on it and leave him out there alone.

~*~

A few days later Steve realized the hard way that they’d gotten complacent when entering seemingly-abandoned bases. HYDRA had set a booby trap at their base in Maturin, Venezuela. The only thing that saved them was the fact that it went off prematurely and they were close enough to the entrance for Steve, with Iron Man’s help, to dig them out.

Steve was covered in cuts and bruises and had a couple of cracked ribs. Sam and Natasha hadn’t fared as well. Sam had a broken leg and Natasha had taken a hard blow to the head and was unconscious. Steve couldn’t help thinking that this could’ve been averted if he’d agreed to take a break. He didn’t argue when Tony flew them all back to the Tower.

~*~*~*~

Steve stayed in the Medical Bay while Sam and Natasha were given more than field-medic care. He left when the “very competent medical personnel, Rogers” threatened to drug him if he didn’t leave and get some rest. But Steve couldn’t sleep. He couldn’t rid himself of the sense that he should be out there doing _something_.

Steve stared at the map of HYDRA bases they’d made. It was flagged with all the bases on the thumb drive; the ones they’d already hit marked in red. The bases Bucky had beaten them to had been marked in yellow so Steve could keep track of where he was. Or, at least, where he’d been. Steve took no joy in marking off the latest. He studied the map, hoping to finally see a connection between them.

When it started to appear as if he was looking at two maps Steve went for a run to clear his head. He thought about Bucky out there alone, maybe walking into another HYDRA trap. Steve hit the punching bag until sweat ran down his face and hid the tears of frustration and fear. What if he didn’t get to Bucky before HYDRA did? What if Bucky just disappeared again?

Steve was in the shower when JARVIS informed him that Miss Potts was at the door. Steve rested his forehead against the shower stall for a count of three. “Please let her in, JARVIS. Tell her I’ll be right out.”

It only took Steve a few minutes to finish up in the shower and get dressed. He wished he could take more time, but it wasn’t polite to keep a lady waiting. Pepper sat on the couch with a magazine. She’d kicked off her heels and her legs were tucked under her. There was a tray with a teapot, mugs that Steve’s large hands wouldn’t crush, and the necessary fixings sitting on the coffee table.

“Pepper, hi,” Steve said.

Pepper glanced up, surprised, and tossed the magazine aside when she saw him. “Steve. It’s so good to see you again.”

Pepper sounded so genuine and Steve couldn’t help but melt into it when she stood and gave him a hug.

“It’s good to see you again, too, Pepper,” Steve said. Even though he’d rather be back out there looking for Bucky, Steve found he meant it.

“I brought tea,” Pepper said when she released Steve and stepped back. “It’s called Zen,” she added as she poured steeped tea into the two mugs. “Green tea with lemongrass and spearmint. It helps me relax when I’m having a stressful day.”

Pepper pushed Steve’s mug closer to him and added some cream to her own. “I don’t know if it’ll do the same for you, given your metabolism, but it’ll give us a moment to breathe. And catch up.”

“Thank you.” Steve picked up the mug and sipped at the tea before determining how to fix it.

“How are you, Steve?” Pepper said.

“Good,” Steve said reflexively. “We’re making progress, but there are so many more HYDRA bases than I ever imagined.”

“I don’t mean how’s your mission going,” Pepper said gently. “I mean, how are _you_ , Steve?”

Steve opened his mouth to assure Pepper that he was fine, but the words wouldn’t come. He took another sip of tea to buy time, then just held the mug in his hands, allowing the heat to seep into his skin.

“I’m worried,” Steve said without meaning to admit to it. “I’m worried about Bucky. He’s out there alone, and now HYDRA’s baiting traps for him . . . I was afraid he’d get hurt before, but now that I know HYDRA’s actively trying to recapture him, I’m terrified I won’t get to him before HYDRA does.”

“That must be frightening. And a lot of pressure to put on yourself.”

“I blame myself,” Steve said, unable to keep the words from spilling out of his mouth. “I couldn’t catch him, and I didn’t bother to look for him after he fell.”

“Telling you that it wasn’t your fault won’t help, I know, but let me ask you this. If the situation was reversed, if you’d fallen, would you blame Bucky for not catching you?”

“Of course not!” Steve said, then muttered, “It’s not the same.”

“It never is,” Pepper said. She patted Steve’s leg. “Tell me something about Bucky, something the movies didn’t know or they got wrong.”

Steve snorted. “They got so much wrong I wouldn’t know where to begin.”

Pepper didn’t speak, and in the silence Steve let his mind drift back to their tiny apartment in Brooklyn. To Bucky making sure Steve had soup when he was sick, climbing into bed with Steve when it was cold outside, spending his last nickle on colored pencils for Steve.

“Bucky was as much of a ladies’ man as in the movies,” Steve said. “Maybe more.” Steve didn’t tell Pepper that much of it was cover, that more often than not Bucky came home to Steve. “But he was also the biggest mother hen I knew.”

Pepper stayed, listening to Steve tell stories about Bucky, until Steve yawned. “I should let you get some rest.”

Steve didn’t bother telling her that it didn’t matter how tired he was, he wouldn’t be able to sleep. He walked Pepper to the door where she paused.

“When you fly a public airline, the attendants go through this spiel before takeoff. One of the things they tell you to do if there’s a problem is to put your own oxygen mask on first. Because you can’t help anyone else if you haven’t taken care of yourself first.”

Pepper patted Steve’s arm and left. Steve stood staring at the closed door for a moment, then turned back to the living room. Pepper had left the tray behind; he’d have to remember to return it to her tomorrow. Steve checked the teapot. There was some tea left, so he refilled his mug. Steve sat on the couch and sipped the tea; memories of Bucky, the ones he hadn’t told to Pepper, or anyone, flitting through his mind.

Steve set the emptied mug on the tray and went to the master bedroom, which alone was the size of the tiny apartment he and Bucky had shared. Steve shook his head at the wasted space as he undressed. Steve slipped under the sheets and lay staring up at the ceiling in the dark. He wouldn’t be able to quiet the thoughts racing through his mind enough to sleep, but he could honestly tell his friends that he’d tried.

Steve closed his eyes, and between one breath and the next he fell and sleep overtook him.

~*~*~*~

“Can I have a DNA sample?” Tony said when Steve stepped into the lab the following morning.

Steve stopped short. “What?”

Tony raised his head. “Sorry. I meant to lead with ‘I have a theory’.”

Steve continued into the lab. “What’s your theory?”

“J,” Tony said.

Information appeared in the air in front of Steve, making him stop short again.

“This is the list of DNA samples that HYDRA was using to create their baby super soldiers.”

“How can you speak so cavalierly about this?”

“It’s either that or start throwing up and never stop.”

Steve sighed. “Fair enough.” He turned his attention back to the display. “Why is this important?”

“Because of this one.” Tony highlighted a row.

“Okay.”

Tony shook his head. “This sample has been labeled differently from the others,” he explained. “And do you see the date?”

“May, 2012,” Steve said. It didn’t click at first. “Wait. You don’t think that’s _my_ DNA?”

“Ding, ding, ding! And we have a winner!”

“But how . . . ?” Steve shook his head. Of course. “SHIELD had access to my body after they pulled me from the ice, which means that HYDRA had access.” Steve punched his fist into his other palm since there wasn’t a punching bag handy.

When he calmed down Steve remembered Tony’s original request. “Yes, alright. How do I . . . ?”

Tony held out what looked like a large Q-tip. “Just swab the inside of your cheek.”

Steve left Tony to analyze the DNA sample and went to visit Sam and Natasha. Neither was in the Med Bay. Steve followed JARVIS’s instructions and found them in the communal area’s kitchen with Bruce.

“Steve!” Natasha said. She studied him. “You look better.”

Steve fought down an embarrassed flush. “I got some sleep. Don’t tell Tony, but his mattress is way more comfortable than the ones at the motels we’ve been staying at.” Sometimes there weren’t even motels available, and they were forced to sleep in the Quinjet or under the stars.

“I’m sure he’d be surprised to hear it,” Sam said dryly.

“What are you guys drinking?” Steve said, and not just to change the subject. It was shockingly pink, whatever it was.

“A fruit smoothie,” Sam said. “Bruce made ‘em. They’re amazing. You should try one.”

Before Steve could decline Bruce set one on the island in front of him. “Thanks. And good morning.”

“Good morning. And you’re welcome,” Bruce said.

Natasha held up her glass and waited for Steve to pick up his.

“What’s in it?” Steve said.

“Ancient Chinese secret,” Bruce said.

Sam and Natasha laughed while Steve wrinkled his brow in confusion.

“It’s a commercial,” Bruce said as he left with his own smoothie. “You should check it out.”

Natasha waited until Steve had written _ancient Chinese secret commercial_ in his notebook. “Come on. It’ll tide you over until you can fry up a dozen eggs and a pound of bacon.”

Steve wanted to deny that he could eat that much in one sitting, but Natasha had graciously not mentioned the side of pancakes and two glasses of milk, so he remained silent and raised his glass. The smoothie was better than Steve had expected. He sipped at it while he made breakfast for the three of them because, as Natasha pointed out, they were injured.

They talked about non-HYDRA-related things as Steve stirred two dozen eggs and some cheese into a scramble while the bacon cooked in the microwave. They were mostly silent while they ate. The home-cooked meal was nice, made even better by not having to look over their shoulders for HYDRA operatives.

“What are your plans?” Natasha asked when they’d finished eating.

“I don’t know.” Steve bought time by stacking the plates and carrying them over to the sink. He turned on the hot water and let it run over the dishes – it felt like such a luxury to use hot water on dishes – while he tried to come up with an answer.

Steve could go off on his own; that’s what he’d originally planned to do before Sam had offered to go with him. Or he could wait until at least Natasha was declared fit for field duty. Steve was itching to be back out there, doing something, _anything_ , especially after a good night’s sleep. His need to find Bucky was greater than his desire to not worry his friends. Still, he could give them another day so they knew he was going off well-rested, at least, and with more intel in his back pocket.

“I’m going back out,” Steve finally said. He continued before Sam or Natasha could draw breath to argue. “In a day or two. In the meantime, I thought I might make use of Maria’s contacts and check out the remaining bases, see which ones should be made a priority.”

“And which ones you shouldn’t take on single-handedly,” Natasha said, her light tone belied by the look in her eyes.

Sam pointed to Natasha. “What she said.”

Instead of addressing that, Steve said, “You guys want to sit in on the strategy session?”

“Hell yeah!”

“What he said.”

~*~

The intel gathering took longer than Steve realized it would. There were still over several dozen bases they hadn’t checked out yet, and getting the satellite images for each one was time consuming.

Maria needed to take an important phone call – it sounded like Coulson’s team had run into a snag – and Sam needed a rest, so Steve and Natasha stayed at it until the work started to give Natasha a headache.

“Let me know if Clint or Coulson need help,” Natasha told Steve before she left to rest her eyes.

Steve stretched when Maria returned. “Are Clint and Director Coulson alright?”

“Yes,” Maria said. “Coulson just needed some intel.”

“Natasha was worried.”

“You can reassure her when you meet the others for dinner.”

Steve indicated the satellite photos. “I’ve got . . .”

“Just enough time to clean up before dinner,” Maria said. “This will still be here tomorrow.”

“Maria . . .”

“If I’ve got to go, you’ve gotta go.”

Steve sighed. “Fine.”

Maria waited.

“Now?”

“After you,” Maria said sweetly.

“It’s almost like you don’t trust me,” Steve said.

“Whaaaat?” Maria said, then told JARVIS to lock the door behind them and not let Steve back in until morning.

~*~*~*~

Early the next morning Steve fit in a workout before grabbing a cup of coffee from the kitchen and heading to the conference room where JARVIS unlocked the door for him. Technically, it was morning.

At dinner the evening before, Tony (who Pepper had to drag out of his lab despite the fact that a group meal had been his idea) had told Steve that the test results weren’t in yet, and he’d let him know as soon as they were.

“What tests?” Natasha said.

“You didn’t tell them?” Tony said.

“It didn’t come up,” Steve told him, then the others, “Tony thinks it’s possible . . .”

“Probable.”

“. . . that HYDRA was using my DNA for their super soldier experiments.”

“Holy shit,” Sam said.

Natasha touched Steve’s arm. “I’m sorry. I know how much you hate that idea.”

Steve was able to tuck the thought that he could be the source of a whole new line of HYDRA super soldiers into the back of his mind long enough to enjoy dinner, watch a movie with the others, and get a few hours of mostly restful sleep. Steve knew when he woke the next morning that he wouldn’t be able to get back to sleep. He’d gotten up and put on workout clothes and spent an hour in the gym. Now he pushed all of that away and concentrated on the satellite photos.

Steve let Natasha pull him away for breakfast and ate lunch when Sam wheeled in with sandwiches piled on a tray across his lap. At 1407 Steve came across a photo that made his heart skip a beat. They’d come across photos that showed signs of activity – tracks from trucks moving in or out, guards stationed outside – but this photo showed one person walking away from a base on the Albanian border.

“It’s Bucky,” Steve said even before they came upon a later satellite photo that showed a crater in the ground where the base had previously stood.

“He won’t be there anymore,” Sam said gently.

“I know.” Steve slammed his fist on the table.

“We wouldn’t have found him even if we were out there,” Natasha said. “He was always one step ahead of us.”

Steve sighed. “I know that, too.”

Steve marked the base on his map with a yellow flag. They hadn’t checked the base out themselves, but there wouldn’t be anything left. Bucky would’ve made sure of that.

“It looks like he’s carrying something,” Sam said, squinting at the photo.

Steve took the photo Sam held out and studied it. Buck was carrying something that resembled a back pack. “He took something from the base.”

“For all we know he took something from all the other bases, too, we just didn’t have photos of him doing it,” Sam said.

“Maybe,” Steve said, unable to look away from the photo.

“Suppose Barnes isn’t taking souvenirs from each of the bases he destroys,” Natasha said. “Does that mean he chose this base because he knew that it, whatever _it_ is, was there?”

“The destruction of the base was pretty thorough,” Sam said. “Seems pretty damned personal.”

Steve forced himself to put the photo aside and continue going through the others. When they were done they had twenty-seven piles, including the base Bucky had just destroyed. Eleven of them appeared abandoned. Appeared being the operative word. The base where the strike team had been waiting to ambush Bucky had also appeared to be abandoned. Fifteen showed signs of activity.

The next step would be to prioritize the bases they’d hit first, and which Steve would need to take extra back-up for.

“Wanna hit the gym?” Natasha said.

“I worked out this morning.”

“You telling me you don’t feel like hitting something right now?”

Steve couldn’t deny that he really did. “What about your head?”

Natasha smiled. “Don’t think I’m gonna go easy on you, Rogers.”

And she didn’t.

An hour later, after a workout and a shower, Steve felt better. He was in the common area living room with the others, discussing the merits of various take-out choices, when JARVIS interrupted them.

“Captain Rogers, sir, you have a visitor.”

Everyone stopped talking. Steve never received visitors.

“Who is it?” Tony said.

“It’s Sergeant Barnes, sir,” JARVIS said.

“What?” Steve said. “What?” He was already headed for the elevator when he said, “Where is he?”

“Just inside the entrance on Level Three of the parking garage,” JARVIS said. “I invited Sergeant Barnes inside the Tower, but this was all he would accept. If you don’t mind my saying so, Captain Rogers, he appears to not want anyone to see him.”

“It’s not paranoia when they really are out to get you,” Sam said.

“Is he armed?” Natasha said.

JARVIS was going through the list of weapons Bucky had on his person – seven grenades, five knives, two guns, a garotte – when Natasha slipped into the elevator with Steve.

“Just in case,” she said softly.

Steve jittered as the elevator moved much too slowly down to parking garage level three. Steve pushed his way out of the elevator before the doors were fully open. “Stay back,” he told Natasha, not wanting her presence to scare Bucky away. Steve moved towards the entrance, his gaze searching for Bucky in the shadows.

Before Steve had to ask JARVIS where Bucky was hiding, the shadows parted. Steve didn’t make out Bucky’s features until he moved closer.

“Bucky.” Steve’s body went weak with relief at the sight of him.

Behind Steve, Natasha cautioned him to be careful. Bucky glanced over Steve’s shoulder, then ignored her. Steve acknowledged Natasha with a hand gesture, but didn’t take his eyes off Bucky.

“Bucky,” Steve said again. “I can’t believe you’re really here. I’ve been looking for you.”

“I know,” Bucky said, his voice low. “You’re not very stealthy.”

Natasha cut off a laugh.

Steve realized he probably should’ve paid more attention to the bundle Bucky was carrying before Bucky shoved it into Steve’s arms.

“Take care of him,” Bucky said.

“What?” Steve glanced down. The blanket the bundle was wrapped in had slipped aside and Steve saw the face of a small child with blond hair and blue eyes. When he looked back up Bucky had moved further away. “Wait, Bucky, aren’t you staying?”

“I’m not done,” Bucky said. He gave the child in Steve’s arms a longing look. “His name’s Stevie.”

Bucky took one more step away from Steve and melted back into the shadows.

“Bucky?” Steve said. He took a step forward to follow Bucky, but Natasha stopped him with a hand on his arm.

“You can’t go after him.

“Why the hell not?”

“Because you’re holding a child.”

Reminded of the child in his arms, Steve looked down. The child stared back at Steve. Steve looked at the entrance and sighed. He’d hesitated; Bucky would be long gone by now.

“Where did Bucky find a child?” Steve said.

“A child with blond hair and blue eyes,” Natasha said.

Steve and Natasha shared a disgusted look.

“HYDRA,” they said at the same time.

~*~*~*~

“What am I supposed to do with a baby?” Steve said.

“You feed them and burp them, and apparently there’s a lot of poop,” Tony said from a distance, watching warily as Pepper cooed over little Stevie.

“He’s adorable,” Pepper said.

Tony flung a hand in Steve’s direction. “That’s because he’s probably mini-me. So unfair,” he added in a mutter.

Natasha waited until Pepper stood back to snap a photo. “I’m sending it to Clint,” she said. “He’s going to owe me so much for this.”

Natasha and Pepper shared a look and giggled. Well, Pepper giggled, Natasha would never sink so low. Steve had no idea what that meant, but it wasn’t helpful.

Steve turned to Bruce, who held up both hands and took a step back. “I have no idea how the big guy feels about crying babies.”

“He wouldn’t like it,” Sam said. “Nobody likes crying babies. It makes you feel like you should do something, but you have no idea what.”

Steve started to say, “He’s not crying,” but before he could get a word out Stevie opened his eyes again, looked around at the faces staring at him, and let out a wail.

“Shit,” Steve said. “What do I do?”

“He’s probably hungry,” Natasha pointed out. “He needs a bottle.”

“And a diaper change,” Pepper said, taking a teensy step back.

“I don’t have any of that stuff!” Steve said, panicked by the loud cries coming out of the tiny body.

“I’ll have JARVIS place an emergency order for the essentials and then we’ll figure out what else we’ll need,” Pepper offered.

Pepper left with Natasha on her heels. Steve looked to Bruce for help. Bruce shook his head. “The big guy really doesn’t like this.”

Tony looked like he wanted to escape, before realizing that he was the only one left. Except for Sam. “Wilson?”

“Sorry, man,” Sam said, pointing to his cast with one of the crutches. “Love to help, but . . .“

“Crap. Not literally. Actually, literally.” Tony waved Steve towards the kitchen. “We don’t have clean diapers, but we can at least get him out of that one.”

Sam hobbled over to the island and sat on a barstool as Tony spread some towels onto the counter to lay Stevie on.

“Change your mind?” Tony said hopefully.

“Oh, no,” Sam said. “I’m sure you two have it covered.”

Steve gave Sam a look. Sam gave a not-very-reassuring thumbs-up in return.

Despite Stevie’s flailing arms and legs they managed to get the diaper off (Tony gagged as he wrapped it up and tossed it in the garbage, then got it back out and sealed it in a plastic bag before tossing it again) and his butt wiped clean with a warm, wet paper towel.

“That was disgusting,” Tony said as he handed Steve a hand towel to wrap around Stevie.

Steve could not disagree. He held the towel over Stevie and tried to determine the best way to wrap it around him. When they were done, Steve stood back to study their handiwork. The towel had been fastened with chip bag clips and Tony had cut holes for Stevie’s legs into a vinyl bowl cover that resembled a shower cap, which they’d pulled on over the towel to help with any leakage.

“We did it.” Tony sounded as dumbfounded as Steve felt.

“Yeah.”

Stevie’s cries had softened the slightest bit, but he was still unhappy. Steve wrapped him back up in the blanket in which he’d been delivered into Steve’s arms and picked him up. Stevie’s unhappy whimpers lessened to little sniffles until he realized that food wouldn’t be immediately forthcoming.

Tony grimaced. “Wow, that is . . .”

“Piercing?” Steve said.

Tony nodded.

“Just be glad you don’t have enhanced hearing.”

Tony winced.

Just then Natasha and Pepper showed up carrying several bags apiece.

“Food or diaper first?” Nat said over Stevie’s cries.

“Food,” Steve said, hoping he didn’t sound as harried as he felt. He’d led the Howlies against HYDRA; why was this so hard?

Natasha made it clear that she was only taking on the duties of bottle preparation because Steve was in dire straits and not because she was a female. Steve didn’t care why she did it, he was just relieved to plop the nipple between Stevie’s lips. It took Stevie a few seconds to realize the nipple was there, but as soon as he did, his little mouth clamped onto the nipple and the sound of his wailing was replaced by the surprisingly loud sound of wet sucking.

Tony was the one to remind Steve that he’d need to burp Stevie, who was not happy to have the bottle taken away again. Steve put Stevie against his shoulder and patted his back. The blanket had fallen away and Natasha and Pepper stared at the improvised diaper in horrified fascination.

“What . . . did you do?” Natasha finally said, choking back a laugh.

“What did you expect us to use?” Tony said.

“You helped?” Pepper said.

That explains it,” Natasha said.

“Hey! If it was left up to Capsicle, little Stevie wouldn’t have anything on him at all, and he probably would have peed on him at least twice now just out of spite.”

Steve shrugged. Tony wasn’t wrong.

“Wilson wasn’t any help,” Tony muttered.

“I recorded it,” Sam said.

“You’re my new favorite,” Natasha said.

“New?” Sam said.

Natasha ignored the comment and reached out to Steve, then aborted the gesture. “I think you need to pat his back a little harder.”

Steve did, though he was afraid he’d hit too hard. A few moments later Stevie let out an impressive belch and warm, sour smelling spit-up ran down the back of Steve’s shoulder.

“Ohh!” everyone said, recoiling as one.

Tony gestured towards his own shoulder. “Yeah, we probably should’ve put a towel . . .”

~*~

The following morning Dr. Cho gave Stevie a check-up and informed Steve that the child was approximately six months old. “What’s this?” she asked when she came upon a nearly healed scab on Stevie’s back.

It was something that Steve had only discovered last night when he’d changed Stevie into a clean pair of pajamas.

“Best guess,” Natasha said, “Barnes removed a tracker.”

Dr. Cho shook her head and pursed her lips. Steve could read her expression: fucking HYDRA. “We’ll leave it alone, then,” she said, and continued her exam.

While she was weighing and measuring, Dr. Cho also took blood samples and a cheek swab that she gave to Tony. Steve pretended he didn’t know what Tony was going to do with the sample.

“That explains why he gets hungry so quickly after a feeding,” Natasha said.

“I’m sorry.” Steve dragged his attention away from Stevie, who Dr. Cho had swaddled back up as soon as she could. He really hadn’t liked the cool air of the Medical Bay on his bare skin. “What?”

Natasha gestured with her phone. “He’s probably been getting some solid food to fill him up. Says here to start introducing it between four and six months to supplement the formula.”

Neither of them mentioned the fact that Stevie being a baby super soldier might also account for his increased appetite.

“Stevie’s perfectly healthy,” Dr. Cho announced when the exam was over. “I won’t be able to tell you anything more until I’ve had a chance to run some blood tests.”

“Okay. Thank you.”

Stevie, who’d been fussing a little bit when Dr. Cho held him, stilled when he saw Steve. Dr. Cho smiled at the way Stevie reached out for Steve, his tiny hands making grabby motions.

“He already knows you’re his.”

Steve’s heart felt like it was being squeezed in his chest. Damn it, Bucky, Steve thought as he cradled Stevie in his arms and looked down at the child who had his blue eyes and blond hair.

“He’s got your nose,” Natasha said. “Poor kid.”

~*~*~*~

The next few days were spent getting used to caring for a baby. Steve was glad he didn’t need much sleep because he was only getting a couple hours each night. According to the books and websites Steve had been inundated with since Stevie’s arrival, he should be sleeping through the night by now.

Natasha suggested that being in a strange environment might’ve set him back for a short time. Steve wondered if, like him, Stevie wouldn’t need as much sleep as the average child. It was also possible that Stevie’s unusual appetite meant his rumbling tummy woke him in the middle of the night.

Steve’s apartment, which had once seemed much too large a space for one person, had quickly filled up with baby stuff. It seemed like something new was delivered every couple of hours.

“Why do I need all of this?” Steve said, indicating the crib and deluxe bouncer and play gym and dozens of onesies and car seat with a sweeping gesture.

Natasha just patted Steve’s arm and left without DUM-E, who Stevie had taken a shine to.

“Just don’t pinch his fingers,” Steve said, and settled on the couch with his tablet and the latest website on raising babies.

Steve became an expert at changing a diaper, and making a bottle to keep Stevie satisfied until he could mix up some cereal or open a jar of Beech-Nut Naturals, and making airplane or train noises to get Stevie to eat the last few spoonfuls.

After a couple days of spit-up and leaking diapers, Steve realized why babies required so many changes of clothes. He determined the value of the bouncy chair to keep Stevie occupied while Steve made up his own lunch or did dishes. He learned to keep his face away from Stevie when the baby had a rattle in his hand.

Surprisingly, Tony was the first person to volunteer to babysit so Steve could spar with Natasha. Steve delivered Stevie to Tony in his lab. DUM-E rolled over, beeping excitedly when he saw Steve with the car seat in his hand.

Steve set the car seat on the floor and dropped the diaper bag on the table near Tony. “He’s going to need a diaper change and to be fed soon.”

“Got it,” Tony said.

“Thanks, Tony.”

Tony looked at Stevie as if he wanted to pick him up and also run in the opposite direction. “Think nothing of it.”

Steve clapped his hand on Tony’s shoulder. “You’ve got this.”

“Of course I do.”

Steve turned away from Tony and watched Stevie and DUM-E burble and beep at each other. “DUM-E,” Steve said. “Help Tony take care of Stevie.”

DUM-E let out a long beep that Steve took as an affirmative and raised it’s arm in, what Tony told Steve was, a high-five gesture before returning to his conversation with Stevie.

That first time Steve left Stevie in the lab with Tony and DUM-E he’d been distracted during his sparring session with Natasha.

“Stevie is going to be fine,” Natasha said, without giving Steve any quarter.

Steve was slow to block a punch. “I know.”

“And if anything happened JARVIS would let you know.”

“I know that, too.”

A couple days in Steve was less nervous about leaving Stevie with Tony. Besides, Tony had seemed to have gotten the worst end of the deal. When Steve had picked Stevie up from the lab he’d found Tony with carrots in his hair and on his shirt, and a red mark on his forehead from where Stevie’d gotten him with the rattle. Tony was sitting on the floor with Stevie between his legs, teaching Stevie how to count on his fingers.

Steve watched them for a few moments before speaking. “He’s six months old, Tony.”

“He’s got a super brain,” Tony retorted without looking up.

~*~

Steve had very little time during those first few days to even think about going back out on his self-imposed mission. Each time he thought about Bucky, or looking at the intel they’d gathered, Stevie would need a diaper change, or to be fed, or a snuggle.

One time when Steve and Sam were in the weight room – Sam refused to lose his upper body strength while his leg healed – Steve broached the subject of going back out.

“What are you gonna do with Stevie?” Sam said after he finished his reps and let the bar settle on the rack.

“I don’t know,” Steve said. “I haven’t thought that far ahead. I’m just getting antsy.”

“Are you? Because it seems like you’ve been the opposite of antsy these last few days.”

“I’ve been busy,” Steve said, trying not to think about Stevie’s grin, or the way he snuggled into Steve during reading time. “That’s not the same thing.”

“Okay. Why do you want to go back out?”

Steve gave Sam a look. “I can’t leave Bucky out there alone.”

“Even if that’s what he wants?”

Steve took a couple of deep breaths so he didn’t say the first, or second, thing that came to his tongue.

“Before, we were going out to find Barnes. We found him,” Sam pointed out.

“HYDRA’s still out there,” Steve said stubbornly.

“And until they’re gone, Stevie is in danger. Barnes came all the way to New York to leave him with the one person he trusted to keep Stevie safe.”

Steve’s eyes burned. “You think so?”

“I know so.”

~*~

Two days later Maria Hill called Steve to her office.

“I’ve been doing satellite sweeps of the HYDRA bases where we’ve seen activity,” Maria told Steve. “One of them just blew up.”

Steve held Stevie in his arms, rocking side-to-side and rubbing Stevie’s back as he studied the before and after photos. “Where?”

“Austria, near the Italian border,” Maria said.

“Did you see who did it?”

“No. But whoever it was left us a gift.”

Maria zoomed in to show a group of agents, both soldiers and scientists, tied up outside the blast zone. Steve smiled; it had to be Bucky.

“I’ve already sent the coordinates to Coulson.”

Steve nodded. “Thanks, Maria.”

“You’re welcome. Now let me hold the baby.”

~*~

Two days later Bucky showed up at the Tower with another child.


	2. When Steve Met Becca (and an Inadvertent Kidnapping)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve realizes that yes, yes he can get more angry with HYDRA. And he finally gets to go off and rescue Bucky. (Who didn't need rescuing, thank you very much.)

Bucky was waiting for Steve in the SUV he’d driven into the parking garage. Steve slowed his steps and caught his breath. He slid into the passenger seat of the SUV as if he hadn’t been panicking the entire way down in the elevator that Bucky would leave before he got there. Steve wanted to study Bucky’s face, make sure he was alright, memorize the way his chin-length hair curled around his jaw, but he followed Bucky’s gesture and saw a child asleep on the back seat. This one was a bit older, and female judging by the length of her blonde hair.

Bucky opened the driver’s side door and Steve reached out to touch Bucky’s arm before he could stop himself. “Buck . . .”

Bucky looked at Steve’s hand, then raised his eyes to Steve’s face.

“Bucky, please don’t go.” Steve swallowed hard, knowing that his expression was giving away too much.

“I have to,” Bucky said. He paused, as if deciding what he should tell Steve, then said, “There’s one more.”

Bucky’s gaze moved to the child and Steve felt sick to his stomach at the thought of there being another child out there in HYDRA’s hands.

“Take me with you,” Steve said. “Let me help you.”

Bucky stared at Steve for a long moment. “You are,” he said, then pulled his arm free of Steve’s hand and disappeared up the ramp.

Steve slid out of the SUV and stared after Bucky. He couldn’t call out and alert anyone to Bucky’s presence, nor could he run after him and leave the child alone in the vehicle. Biting back tears and curses, Steve picked the child up and carried her to the elevator.

“JARVIS, please tell Tony to meet me in Medical.”

“Sir is on his way,” JARVIS said.

The child didn’t stir, and Steve began to worry.

As if he could read Steve’s mind, JARVIS said, “Her heart rate and breathing appear to be normal, Captain Rogers.”

“Thank you, JARVIS.”

Tony was waiting outside Medical when the elevator doors opened. “Another one? How many are there?”

“Bucky says one more,” Steve said, his lips a grim line.

The girl didn’t wake while she was being scanned for trackers and examined. Steve would’ve worried, but Dr. Cho confirmed that the girl was healthy and that her breathing and heart rate within normal parameters. She also estimated the girl’s age at three-years old.

“I won’t know for sure until I test her blood, but I think she was sedated,” Dr. Cho said.

Steve was horrified at the idea of a child being drugged. He had to remind himself that HYDRA had probably done worse to her, but still . . . “Why would Bucky sedate her?”

“I can think of several reasons,” Dr. Cho said. “We often sedate patients who are anxious.”

“You think she was anxious?”

“Your friend just took her from the only ‘home’ she’d ever known, as horrible as it might have been, and was preparing to leave her with a complete stranger. Wouldn’t you be anxious?”

Steve had to acknowledge her point. “How long until she wakes up?”

“Shouldn’t be longer than a few hours.”

~*~

Steve sensed when the child woke – her breathing and heart rate sped up before settling down again. Her eyes remained closed and Steve realized that she was gathering information before letting anyone know she was conscious. She was already thinking tactically and she was only three-years old!

Steve cleared his throat and spoke. “My name is Steve. You’re safe here.”

The girl didn’t respond at first and Steve wondered if she could even understand him. Finally her eyes slowly opened and she stared at Steve.

“Sasha’s Steve?”

“I don’t know who Sasha is,” Steve said. “Bucky brought you here so I could protect you.”

The girl’s eyes glittered like the sun on the ocean. “Sasha left me here?”

Instead of crying, like Steve expected, the girl let loose a string of what sounded to Steve like Russian.

“Wow,” Natasha said from the open doorway. “She’s got quite a mouth on her.”

The girl clamped her lips shut and glared at Natasha.

“This is my friend Natasha,” Steve said.

Natasha waved. “Hello.”

The girl remained silent as she studied Natasha. She turned her attention back to Steve and ignored Natasha completely. “Where is Sasha? I will find him.”

“You can’t go on your own,” Steve said.

“Sasha?” Natasha said.

“It’s what she’s been calling Bucky,” Steve said.

Natasha nodded. “Sasha means James.”

“Oh,” Steve said. “Oh! Yes,” he told the girl, “Sasha, James.”

The girl narrowed her eyes. “Why do you call him Bucky?”

Steve smiled. “Because his full name is James Buchanan Barnes. Bucky’s a nick name.” He let that sink in, then said, “Can you tell us your name?”

The girl studied them as if she wasn’t sure she wanted to tell them anything. “Thirty-two.”

“Thirty-two?”

“That’s my designation,” the girl, Steve couldn’t think of her as a number, said.

“Designation,” Steve said. “Like the Black Widow, or Captain America.”

“Captain America is the enemy.”

“The enemy of who?” Steve said.

“Everyone,” the girl said as if Steve should’ve already known that.

“Wow, harsh,” Natasha said, pitching her voice so only Steve could hear.

“My point,” Steve said, “is that a name is different than a designation. Do you have a name? Like Sasha.”

The girl shook her head. “They never gave me one.”

She didn’t sound upset about it, but Steve was upset enough for both of them.

“I have a suggestion,” Steve said, “but only if you like it.” Steve paused to allow the girl to respond, but she just stared at him. “Bucky, Sasha, had a sister. Her name was Rebecca. We called her Becca.”

The girl’s brow wrinkled. “She belonged to Sasha?”

“Yes. She was his sister.”

The girl thought about it some more, then nodded. “Okay, you can call me Becca.”

A commotion at the door drew Steve’s attention before he could reply.

“Sorry,” Tony said. “He was getting antsy. I think he could sense something was going on.”

“It’s okay, Tony.” Steve stood and took a fussing Stevie from Tony. “Hey, buddy, you’re okay,” Steve said softly.

On the bed, Becca had gone on alert, like a dog. “Who’s that?”

“This is Stevie,” Steve said.

“Sasha’s Stevie?”

“Yes.”

“Oh.” Becca threw the blankets back and held out her arms.

Steve carefully set Stevie in Becca’s arms. He squatted beside the bed and watched the two blond heads stare at each other.

“He’s your brother,” Steve said.

“He’s my mission,” Becca said.

Chills ran down Steve’s spine. “Who told you that?” Steve said as he prepared to grab Stevie out of Becca’s arms.

“Sasha. He said Stevie needed me to protect him.”

The adrenaline flooded out of Steve leaving him weak and blinking back tears. “Sasha was right,” Steve said.

~*~*~*~

Steve hadn’t been surprised when the tests had come back positive for a match between his and Stevie’s DNA. Tony was testing Becca’s DNA, as well, but given how much she resembled both him and Stevie, Steve expected the results to be the same.

“Congratulations,” Tony had said, handing Steve a cigar. “You’re a dad.”

Steve didn’t know how he felt about that. He didn’t have anything against children, but he’d never expected to be able to have any. He and Bucky . . . “Thanks, Tony,” Steve said.

“You’re welcome. Let me know when you’ve got a full name picked out and I’ll make sure he, and probably the new one, too, have the paperwork they need.”

“You can do that?”

“Wow. I can’t believe you’re doubting me.”

“I’m not . . .” Steve sighed. “Thank you, Tony, I will.”

“Awesome. Listen.”

Even if Tony hadn’t been running his hand over his head Steve would’ve been alerted by the change of tone.

“There’s something I need to tell you about the test results.”

“What’s wrong?” HYDRA had been trying to create their own super soldier using Steve’s DNA, but what if all they got was a version of sickly-Steve? “Is he sick?”

“No!” Tony waved a hand and shook his head. “Nothing like that.”

Steve let out a breath he hadn’t known he’d been holding. “Then what is it?”

“Yours wasn’t the only DNA we found when we ran the test.”

Steve frowned. “What does that mean?”

“Stevie isn’t a straight up clone of Steve Rogers,” Tony said. “It looks like, from the data JARVIS and I have sorted through, that early tests using one DNA sample weren’t successful, no matter how many samples they used. Including yours. So they got the bright idea to combine two samples of DNA.”

“And that worked?”

“It appears to have provided the genetic stability they needed to successfully create a mini-super soldier,” Tony said. “Basically, Stevie has two dads.”

Steve scrubbed his face with one hand. “Jesus, how could they . . . ?”

Now Tony joined Steve in the common living area where Becca was coaxing Stevie into learning to walk despite the fact that he wasn’t even crawling yet. “JARVIS, look into what we need to do to toddler-proof this place.”

“Of course, sir.”

Tony dropped onto the couch next to Steve. “If you’ve got a middle name for the rug rat, I can get that paperwork started for you.”

“Thanks, but not yet. I helped Becca choose her first name, Bucky should help with her middle name.” Besides, it was only fair since Steve had chosen Stevie’s middle name given that Bucky had given him his first. Steven James; Steve’s face heated up each time he thought about it.

“Okay.” Tony didn’t leave.

“What is it?”

“With the information Becca gave us we were able to find her records. Thirty-two,” Tony spat.

“Okay. Is there something wrong with her?”

“Yes. No. It’s just that she was born . . . created, whatever, on August 12, 2012.”

“That can’t be right,” Steve said after he did the math in his head. “That would mean she’s only two years old.”

“Yep.”

“That means . . .”

“Yep.”

Before Steve could fully comprehend what that meant – Becca was growing faster than a normal child – Maria Hill interrupted them. Steve slowly turned his head to look at her. “What is it?”

“Somebody’s throwing a tantrum,” Maria said.

“Bucky?”

Maria headed to the elevator without answering. Steve said, “Tony?” and followed her.

“Yeah, I got this,” Tony said, sounding the slightest bit uncertain.

Neither of them spoke until Maria led Steve into the conference room where their intel on the HYDRA bases was spread out over the table. Maria turned on the television and said, “JARVIS, play the clip, please.”

“Of course, Agent Hill.”

The clip started playing before JARVIS stopped speaking. Steve watched as an office building in the middle of Breclav, Czech Republic blew up, sending flames and shrapnel exploding out.

“That was cell phone footage,” Maria said. “This next bit is from a news report.”

A reporter came on screen, speaking Czech. Steve paid less attention to the translation scrolling across the bottom of the screen and instead studied the building that burned in the insert.

“This isn’t subtle,” Maria said. “And there were no survivors this time.”

“Oh god,” Steve said. “Were any civilians hurt?”

“A few cuts. The explosion was actually pretty well contained.”

Steve scrubbed a hand over his face and stared at the paused screen in horror.

“What changed?” Maria said.

“Bucky said there was one more child.”

“Shit,” Maria said at the implication.

Bucky had obviously been upset at what he’d found, or hadn’t found, which meant that the child had either been moved, or . . . Steve didn’t want to think about the other option, but given Bucky’s response, Steve feared that was the one that would prove true.

Maria shoved the stack of satellite photos on this particular HYDRA base into a file and added it to the pile at the end of the table. The bases Bucky had single-handedly taken out in his search for the children HYDRA had created.

Steve needed a half hour with the punching bag before he could return to Becca and Stevie. Becca pressing a finger to her lips greeted Steve when he stepped off the elevator. Steve stepped quietly over to the seating area where both Stevie and Tony were fast asleep.

Steve carefully sat on the other side of Becca and pointed to the tv on low. “What are you watching?”

“Brave. It’s about a princess who doesn’t want to get married so she leaves home and has an adventure.”

On the screen a girl with long, curly red hair shot a bow and arrow.

“Her name is Merida.”

“Huh,” Steve said. Now he knew where one of Tony’s nick names for Clint came from.

“I wanna learn how to do that,” Becca stated.

“I know just the guy.”

~*~*~*~

Clint showed up two days later with Director Coulson. Steve was glad for the distraction because it stopped him from worrying about Bucky, who’d noisily blown up yet another HYDRA base just that morning (this one in Bratislava, Slovakia), and what it meant that Becca was growing so quickly. Would she stop growing when she reached adolescence or adulthood, when she’d have been useful to HYDRA, or would she continue to age until her entire life had passed in just a few years? Was her brain aging with her body? Should she already be in some sort of class?

“Steve!” Clint said when he and Coulson stepped off the elevator.

“Clint, hi. Thank you for coming. Director Coulson.” Steve’s greeting to Coulson was slightly less warm. He knew that it wasn’t Coulson’s fault, but he couldn’t stop thinking about how they’d all been lied to by Fury. And Coulson was resurrecting the organization Steve had tried to burn to the ground, so there was that.

“Captain Rogers,” Coulson said.

“Wow,” Clint said, slicing through the awkwardness. “Nat said there was another mini-me, but I didn’t really believe it.”

Steve’s eyes must’ve gone wide, because Coulson assured him, “Secured lines.”

“Becca wants to learn how to shoot a bow,” Steve told Clint.

Clint’s face split into a grin. “You don’t say! The child of Captain America wants to learn to shoot a bow.”

“You might want to keep that part to yourself,” Steve said. “Becca only knows me as Steve. She thinks Captain America is the enemy of everyone.”

“Ouch,” Coulson said. “That’s a little harsh.”

“Right?”

Becca walked over to them with Stevie crawling behind her. Steve introduced her to Clint and Coulson. “Clint is my friend who knows how to shoot a bow.”

Clint squatted and held out his hand. “Hi.”

Becca gave Clint a look of hero worship. “Hi. Can you teach me?”

“I absolutely can,” Clint said, sounding way more pleased than the situation warranted. He looked up at Steve. “I don’t suppose you have a child-sized bow?”

Steve’s eyes went wide with panic. Before he could reply in the negative (and ruin Becca’s life, based on her expression), the elevator opened to disgorge Tony, who, despite having ridden the elevator, looked like he’d run.

Tony held out the item in his hand and gasped, “Bow!”

Becca suddenly reminded Steve of an anime character. Her eyes went wide and her mouth formed an ‘O’. She covered her mouth and bounced, then let out a squeal that was probably heard across the river in Brooklyn.

“Thank you, thank you!” Becca said as she took the bow from Tony and studied it. She shoved it towards Stevie. “Stevie, look!”

Stevie burbled.

“Can we do it now?” Becca asked Clint hopefully.

“As long as it’s okay with your . . .” At a quick shake of Steve’s head Clint did a quick backtrack. “. . . Steve.”

“Is it?” Becca said. Demanded, really.

“Yes, of course.”

“I need to get my bow off the jet. Wanna come with?”

Becca looked like she’d just been handed the key to the city. She took Clint’s hand and dragged him to the elevator. Clint gave the rest of them a look and laughed as he let her.

Coulson jerked his eyes away from Stevie when he felt the weight of Steve’s and Tony’s gazes on him. His cheeks were flushed for reasons Steve couldn’t discern. “I have a meeting with Maria,” Coulson said and quickly hurried away.

Tony shook his head as they watched Coulson disappear. “Agent Coulson was always the coolest of cucumbers, yet somehow you have the ability to turn his brain to mush.”

Steve was distracted by Stevie grabbing Steve’s pant leg and pulling himself up. “Oh my god,” Steve said, his voice low. “Tony, did you see that?”

“Of course I saw that! J, did you record it?”

“Yes, sir,” JARVIS said. “I’ll send the clip to Captain Roger’s phone.”

“Mine, too,” Tony demanded.

“Of course, sir.”

Steve picked up Stevie and raised him high in the air, making the boy giggle around a wet fist. “Good job, Stevie! Good job.”

“Speaking of recording,” Tony said as he let Stevie chew on his finger. “Becca and Clint?”

“Absolutely,” Steve said. They had no idea what Becca’s ‘super soldier’ abilities were, other than rapid growth. It would be interesting to see how well she did with the bow.

Which reminded Steve. “Did you make the bow?”

“No,” Tony said. “Didn’t have time. But if it’s something she wants to keep up with I’m going to build her next one because I can do better than that with my eyes closed and one hand tied behind my back.”

Steve swallowed hard at the surge of emotion. “Thanks, Tony.”

“No big,” Tony said, reaching for Stevie. “Give me this little guy. DUM-E and Bruce miss him.”

“DUM-E and Bruce, right,” Steve said, handing over Stevie.

Alone, Steve wandered down to the shooting range. Sam and Natasha, who’d been working out, had beaten him to the observation room. Clint was on his knees beside Becca, explaining how to hold the bow. Steve watched as Becca practiced holding the bow properly, then placed an arrow against the string. Becca pulled the arrow back and released it. The arrow fell on the floor a few feet in front of her.

Clint’s voice was low as he encouraged her to try again, and again. When the arrow finally hit the target (although it bounced off onto the floor), Steve did a little fist pump. He must’ve made a sound because Becca turned her head and scowled at him through the glass. Natasha and Sam, who moved faster than a man with a broken leg using crutches should’ve been able to, had disappeared, leaving Steve to face Becca’s wrath alone.

Steve gave Becca two thumbs up and received an eye roll in return. He exited the observation room. “JARVIS?”

“Still recording, Captain,” JARVIS said.

“Thank you.”

“My pleasure.”

Steve found Natasha and Sam in the weight room as if they’d never left. “Fair weather friends.”

“You’re just mad you got caught,” Sam said.

~*~*~*~

Bucky still hadn’t returned to New York, and two more HYDRA bases (one near Innsbruck, Austria and the other outside Szeged, Hungary) had been very loudly and publicly destroyed. With fewer and fewer bases standing . . .

“They’ve got to know he’s coming,” Steve said worriedly. He feared that Bucky’s luck was going to run out when faced with HYDRA’s consolidated forces. Steve wished there was a way to get word to Bucky, to offer intel, back-up. Steve clenched his hands into fists and wished there was something he could hit.

“Based on his trajectory we could make an educated guess where he’ll hit next,” Maria said.

Steve felt light-headed at the idea of intercepting Bucky. “What if we guess wrong?”

“Then we’ll have one more data point for our next guess.”

“Alright,” Steve said. He tried to tamp down on his excitement. “Let’s do it.

~*~

Steve went to Tony first. He was 99.99% sure, but he needed to confirm that it would be alright to leave Stevie and Becca at the Tower. Tony made it sound like a huge imposition, but Steve was starting to be able to read through the lines with him and he could tell that Tony was pleased to be trusted with the responsibility.

Steve’s next step was Becca. “I need to go away for a few days. I’m going to go bring Sasha home,” he told her.

Becca forgot the LEGO tower she was building. “I wanna go, too!”

“I know you do,” Steve said, “but you need to take care of Stevie. He’s your mission,” he said, cheating. “Bucky’s mine.”

Becca looked like she wanted to stomp her foot or cry. Or both. Instead she straightened her shoulders. “Okay. Just make sure you do bring him home.”

“Failure is not an option,” Steve said.”

~*~

“I wish I could go with you,” Sam said.

“Me, too.” Sam hadn’t left his side during Steve’s search for Bucky and he was going to miss Sam having his back this time. “Take care of my . . . the kids.”

“You can call them yours,” Sam said.

“I don’t know if they . . .”

“Stevie adores you. Hopefully he won’t remember what came before. And Becca’s coming around, especially after Clint’s visit. And you’ll seal the deal when you bring Barnes back.”

“No pressure, then.”

~*~

Natasha was waiting outside Steve’s apartment when he exited with a duffel bag over his shoulder and the shield at his back. “Not going to say goodbye to me?”

“I was hoping I wouldn’t have to.”

A widow bite fell into Natasha’s hand. “Good thing I travel light.”

They walked shoulder to shoulder to the elevator. “No bag?” Steve said.

“It’s already on the jet.”

~*~

Maria met them on the roof with communications equipment and the news that she’d called in back-up. “I know you’ve got reservations,” she said, “but Coulson is rebuilding SHIELD from the ground up. If you can trust anyone, it’s Phil.”

“And Clint,” Natasha pointed out.

“Of course.”

“I know,” Steve said, “it’s just . . .”

“As I understand it, you’ve made a pretty bold promise to a little girl. Consider them your insurance policy so you don’t disappoint her.”

“Wow, that was practically Machiavellian.”

Maria smiled.

Tony appeared on the roof and joined them. “Call me if you need more hands on deck.”

“I will,” Steve said. He shook Tony’s hand. “Take care of my kids.”

“I will.”

~*~

Maria gave them updates as new satellite photos came in. For hours nothing happened, then Maria informed them that there’d been movement at the base in Bucharest, Romania. HYDRA was reinforcing the same base that they’d guessed Bucky would hit next. That still didn’t mean they were correct, but it added weight to their guess that HYDRA had come to the same conclusion.

“Any sign of Bucky?” Steve said.

“Not yet.” Maria sent them a set of coordinates. “Barton and Coulson will meet you there.”

~*~

‘There’ turned out to be an overgrown private airstrip that had probably been used at some point for smuggling. Luckily neither the jet nor the Bus needed an airstrip to land because this one was in bad shape and clearly hadn’t been used in a while. Exactly the type of place they needed.

“I’ve got something,” Maria said over comms.

Steve hit some buttons on the console. “What is it?”

Photos flicked across the screen, one after another. The back of a man wearing a ball cap over shoulder-length hair and a hoodie beneath a black jacket. Steve’s breath caught. Those were the same clothes Bucky’d had on in New York. “That’s Bucky.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. Where is he?”

~*~

Bucky froze when he saw Steve. He glanced around as if he expected Steve to have back-up surrounding him.

Steve held his hands up, palms out. “It’s just me. I’m here to help. _We’re_ here to help. We need to talk.” Steve inclined his head towards the motorcycle parked on the street.

Bucky snorted when he saw the motorcycle. “Can you actually drive that thing?” he said, the words coming with some difficulty, as if he wasn’t used to speaking.

“I’m a good driver,” Steve said defensively. “And I always have been.”

“Sure, pal.”

“Bucky, please.”

Bucky gave a slight shrug. Steve headed for the motorcycle and hoped that Bucky would follow him rather than take off.

Steve slowly let out the breath he’d been holding when Bucky climbed onto the motorcycle behind him. “Hang on.”

~*~*~*~

Steve managed to resist the urge to place his hand over Bucky’s where it rested on Steve’s abdomen. Steve drove down several side streets until he came to the alley where they’d disabled all the cameras they could find.

“Incoming,” Steve said into his comms, and the jet ramp lowered in front of them.

Steve patted Bucky’s hand when his arm tightened around Steve’s middle, then drove up the ramp into the jet.

“Hi,” Clint said as he closed the ramp behind them. “I’m Clint.” Clint left them alone and returned to the cockpit.

“Friend of yours?” Bucky said, not moving.

“Yes.”

“Where’s the other guy? With wings.”

“Sam?” Steve sighed. “We walked into a trap in Venezuela. A base fell on us. My fault. Sam’s leg was broken. He doesn’t have enhanced healing.”

Bucky stiffened when the jet lifted off.

“Bucky?”

“Where are we going?”

“To meet up with the others.”

“Others?”

“Yes.” Steve squeezed Bucky’s hand. “It’ll be okay, I promise.”

They both climbed off the bike. Steve stood awkwardly for a moment, just staring at Bucky. Steve shook himself, but Bucky spoke before he could.

“Where are the kids?”

“Still at the Tower,” Steve said. “With Tony.”

“Tony Stark,” Bucky said. “Howard’s kid.”

“Yes,” Steve said, wondering what Bucky remembered about Howard. “And Sam, and a few others. You don’t have to worry about Stevie and, uh, Becca.”

Steve’s cheeks heated up when Bucky gave him a look at the name.

“My friends love those kids and they’ll keep them safe,” Steve finished. “But, Bucky, you’re walking into a trap.”

“What do you mean?” Bucky said, with very little inflection in his voice.”

“There’s been a lot of traffic into the HYDRA base here in Bucharest,” Steve said. “They know you’re coming.”

“I know,” Bucky said.

“You know?”

Bucky raised his eyebrows at Steve.

“If you know, then why . . . ?”

Bucky hesitated, then said, “Because I’m not hitting this base.”

Steve froze with his mouth open, unable to voice all the questions running through his mind. Suddenly everything settled into place. “You made it look like you were coming here to Bucharest so they’d pull people from the base you’re really going to hit, leaving it vulnerable.”

“I guess you’re not just another pretty face,” Bucky said, and looked uncomfortable, as if he had no idea where something like that would come from.

“I should not have doubted your tactical genius,” Steve said. “Except I didn’t know how much you remembered.”

“If you two are done complimenting each other, we’re about to dock,” Clint said.

“We’re not done,” Steve said, “but we can table it for now.”

Clint snorted and told someone over comms that they were starting docking procedures. A moment later the jet vibrated under their feet as they docked with the Bus.

“Okay, kids,” Clint said, and was the first to descend into the Bus.

Steve touched Bucky’s arm. “No one here wants to hurt you. In fact, one is a bit of a . . . fan.”

Bucky scowled. “Fan of what?”

“Me. Us. Captain America and his trusty sidekick Bucky Barnes.”

“Hey. I’m no one’s sidekick.”

Steve grinned. “I know. But that’s what all the comics say.”

“Comics? Like Superman, but about us?” Bucky gestured between them.

“Yes. There were movies, too.”

Tony had made Steve watch one, thinking it would embarrass him. Instead Clint suggested a drinking game where they had to take a drink every time Steve pointed out something that was wrong. Everyone but Steve had a heck of a hangover the next day. Tony never suggested they watch another.

“Trading cards, too.”

~*~

Steve went down the ladder first, then stood guard while Bucky came though the hatch. The door to Coulson’s office was closed, so either he was already downstairs with the others, or Clint had waylaid him, in which case Steve didn’t want to think too hard about what might be happening behind the closed door.

Steve led the way down the stairs and around the command center to the lounge where Clint was talking to Natasha. Natasha raised a hand in greeting and gave Bucky an appraising look before returning her attention to Clint.

“I thought you said no one wanted to hurt me?” Bucky said, perceptive to Natasha’s look.

“I said no one wanted to hurt you, not that they _wouldn’t_. Natasha’s gotten a little bit . . . protective.”

Bucky raised an eyebrow. Steve’s cheeks heated.

“Not like that, Buck. We’re just friends.”

“If you say so, pal.”

“I do,” Steve said in a tone meant to put an end to the conversation.

Bucky smirked. Steve had forgotten that his ‘Captain America’ tone had never worked on Bucky. Well, it had worked on Bucky, just not the way Steve had intended. Not that Steve hadn’t reaped the benefit of that . . .

Steve banished the memories before they could take hold. “Let me introduce you to the others.”

Agents Skye and Simmons were hanging out in the lounge, very obviously waiting for an introduction, so Steve went to them first. Before Steve could say anything, Skye held out her hand.

“Hi! I’m Skye. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Skye turned her offer to shake into a gesture when Bucky didn’t seem inclined to take her hand. “Despite the circumstances, of course.”

Agent Simmons gave Skye a discreet elbow. “I’m Jemma Simmons. It really is a pleasure to meet you.”

“And we’re happy to help you take down HYDRA anyway we can,” Skye added, a sour look twisting her lips.

“Okay,” Bucky said. “Thanks?”

Both of them beamed as if Bucky had said something particularly insightful.

“Where’s Coulson?” Steve said.

“Command center,” Skye and Simmons said at the same time.

Steve touched Bucky’s arm and led him over to the entrance to the fish bowl, ignoring the fact that he’d been so focused on Bucky that he hadn’t seen Coulson inside the glass enclosed room when they’d passed it.

“Was she the fan?” Bucky said. “Skye,” he clarified at Steve’s look.

Steve grinned. “Oh no, you haven’t met our super fan yet.”

“Super fan?” Bucky said with a hint of horror.

~*~*~*~

Coulson and Agent May, who Steve had first met the first time Coulson’s team had arrived to take the captured HYDRA agents off their hands, were facing the image of Maria on a large screen when Steve and Bucky stepped into the command center. Coulson turned towards them with an expression of bland interest that Steve figured he must be working hard to maintain.

“Captain Rogers,” Coulson said cooly.

“Director Coulson.” Steve touched Bucky’s arm again. “Bucky, this is Phil Coulson, the director of nu!SHIELD.” Steve realized what he’d said and recovered quickly despite the heat that crawled up the back of his neck. “I mean, the new director of SHIELD.”

A choked-off laugh issued from the screen, but Steve couldn’t break character to glare at Maria. He continued introductions. “This is Melinda May, Coulson’s second in command.

May’s smile reminded Steve of a shark. “I’m just the pilot.”

Bucky snorted. “Sure.”

“And this is Maria Hill.” Steve indicated the screen. “She’s the former assistant director of SHIELD and is currently the liaison between The Avengers and SHIELD.” Steve paused. “Everyone, this is Bucky Barnes.”

“Hey, what about me?” Tony squawked as he leaned over Maria’s shoulder and looked into the camera.

Bucky stiffened.

“Sorry, Tony,” Steve said. “I didn’t know you were there.”

“Sergeant Barnes,” Coulson said in a sincere tone despite his tranquil mask slipping ever so slightly. “It’s a real pleasure to meet you.” Coulson must’ve learned his lesson with Steve. Or he’d been practicing. “Ignore Stark,” Coulson went on. “I do.”

“I heard that, Coulson!”

“Sergeant Barnes,” Maria said, cutting through Tony’s whine. “What is your plan to attack this HYDRA base?”

“I don’t have one,” Bucky said, eliciting a moment of silence and hard stares. “I don’t intend to attack this base.”

“You sneaky bastard!” Tony said gleefully. “Which base are you going to hit?”

Bucky glanced at Steve, who nodded encouragement. “Bizerte, Tunisia,” said Bucky.

Coulson swept his hand through the air and all the photos of the Bucharest base disappeared. “Maria.”

“I’m working on it, Phil,” Maria said. A moment later satellite photos of the base in Bizerte hung in the air.

“Okay, what’s the plan?” Phil said as he studied the photos.

Bucky jumped when Steve tapped his arm, as if he hadn’t realized the question was directed at him. “Go in and kill anyone who tries to stop me.”

Coulson stared at Bucky. May laughed.

“I like him,” May said. To Maria she said, “Send me the coordinates so I can lay in a course.”

“Have you ever been to this base?” Coulson asked Bucky as May exited the command center.

“Yes,” Bucky said shortly.

“Can you give us an idea of the layout?”

“No.” There was a long pause before Bucky said, “I only remember it in . . . pieces.”

“Okay,” Coulson said gently. “Can you tell us what you do remember?”

Bucky shook his head. “No.”

Before Coulson could push Bucky further, Natasha, who’d slipped in behind them and witnessed the entire scene, said, “Hacker girl, get in here and do your thing.”

Skye appeared as if she’d been waiting right outside the door. “Yes!” she said with a fist pump. “What am I hacking into?” she said as she moved to stand in front of a keyboard.

“We need the blueprints for a HYDRA base located in Bizerte, Tunisia, but you should try to get in through the base here in Bucharest. Make them think this is the one we’re still interested in,” Natasha said.

Coulson nodded. Skye gave an excited little chirp and her fingers began moving over the keys.

“Is there anything we, I mean, I can do, Director?” Simmons said from the open doorway.

“Yes, Jemma,” Clint said. “I’m sure our guests haven’t eaten. Would you show them to the galley?”

“Of course,” Jemma said.

“This is going to take a while,” Coulson told Steve, indicating Skye, who was already absorbed in her work and muttering at the screen as she tapped away. “We’ll let you know the moment she’s found anything. In the meantime, you should have something to eat and get some rest.”

“Sounds good,” Natasha said. She clapped Steve on the arm. “Think you can settle down long enough to eat and rest now that you’ve got your boy back?”

“I don’t . . .” Steve glanced around the command center. Skye was grinning at the screen, Coulson was studying the lines of code that appeared on the large screen as Skye typed with more intensity than it deserved. Maria bit her lip, Tony smirked, Jemma’s eyes were wide as saucers, and Clint was laughing. “I eat,” Steve said without looking at Bucky.

“Sure you do, big guy,” Natasha said. “Clint and I are gonna get some sparring in while you guys eat.”

Clint groaned. “Why do you always want to beat up on me when you come to visit?”

“I do it with love,” Natasha said, and started to drag Clint away.

“Actually,” Bucky said, drawing all eyes to him. “I need to get my stuff. My uniform and weapons. Someone,” he said, purposely not looking at Steve, “kidnapped me before I could get back to my ship.”

“Does that mean you’re going to accept our help?” Steve said.

Bucky did look at Steve then. “Doesn’t seem like I have any choice.”

“Um,” Clint said, breaking into the sudden awkwardness. “I’ll take him.”

“Could the Bus land near your ship?” Coulson said.

“The Bus?”

“This craft,” Coulson clarified.

“Too big,” Bucky said. “And too conspicuous, even with the cloaking technology.”

“Alright.” Coulson nodded to Clint. “I’ll let Agent May know that we’ll be rendezvousing with you once you’ve collected Sergeant Barnes’ things.”

Coulson said something else with his eyes and Clint nodded back. Steve remembered when he and Bucky had been able to communicate silently like that.

Steve followed Clint and Bucky out of the command center. “I’ll go with you.”

“That won’t be necessary,” Bucky said, and continued on to the spiral staircase when Clint and Steve stopped.

“We’ll be fine,” Clint said, squeezing Steve’s arm.

Natasha patiently waited until the jet had separated from the Bus. “Looks like it’s you and me, Rogers,” she said.

Steve followed obediently rather than arguing. He really felt like beating someone up.


	3. Kicking Ass and Taking Names

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve finally gets Bucky back to the Tower, just not the way he hoped.

Steve and Natasha sparred until Clint appeared on the catwalk above their heads to tell them that food was ready if they were hungry. Steve wasn’t hungry so much as he wanted to lay eyes on Bucky again, so he grabbed a towel and wiped the sweat off his face and neck. He tossed the used towel in the basket and headed up the stairs, ignoring the looks that Clint and Natasha threw his way.

“Your turn, Barton,” Natasha said.

“Didn’t you get enough of beating up Rogers?”

“Nope.”

“Can I interest you in some of Melinda’s lasagna?”

“Maybe later.”

Clint’s groan was the last thing Steve heard before the door closed behind him. He passed the empty lounge and the command center, where Skye was still working and Coulson was keeping her company (unless he knew more about computers than Steve was aware), on his way to the galley. Simmons had made a variety of sandwiches and reheated what Steve presumed was Melinda’s lasagna.

The scent of the lasagna made Steve’s mouth water and he realized that he was hungry. Still, his first priority was Bucky. “Hey, Buck. Did you get everything you need?”

Bucky gave Steve a look, as if he knew Steve was trying to make Bucky forget his irritation. “Yes.” He indicated the spread on the counter. “What are you having?”

Steve’s gaze moved over the options. “Probably a little bit of everything,” he admitted. Steve hesitated, then realized that Bucky was waiting for him to go first. Steve wanted to assure Bucky that no one was going drug or poison his food, but Steve was the only person on the Bus that Bucky knew, and he wasn’t all that happy with Steve at the moment, so he couldn’t blame him for being cautious.

Steve scooped some of the lasagna onto his plate, then piled half of each of the three different types of sandwiches next to it. Steve had learned that he liked his food with a little kick (though not as much as Tony liked), so he added some Dijon mustard to each of the sandwiches. Bucky watched Steve, then did the same thing.

Steve glanced up to see Jemma watching them with dropped jaw. “Never seen a super soldier eat?” he said.

Jemma’s mouth snapped closed. “No. Sorry, that was rude.”

“It’s fine,” Steve said, and found he almost meant it.

Steve took a bottle of water and led the way to one of the tables, hoping Bucky followed him. Bucky did, but they ate mostly in silence. Bucky ate more slowly than Steve, which made Steve wonder if he’d been short on food while he was hunting HYDRA and was trying to not make himself sick.

Steve realized his error when an expression of delight crossed Bucky’s face. Steve wondered how long it had been since Bucky had been allowed to enjoy the taste of food and wished for something to punch.

Steve managed to finish his food, then watched Bucky eat for a few moments. “I’m sorry, Buck.”

Bucky raised his eyes from the plate and kept chewing.

“For kidnapping you. That wasn’t my intention.”

Bucky studied Steve. When he finished chewing, Bucky said, “Wasn’t it?”

“No, Buck! I just wanted to help.”

“Because you know best,” Bucky said.

“No, of course not! We thought you were walking into a trap.”

“And now that you know I wasn’t?” Bucky watched Steve digest that, then nodded. “That’s what I thought.”

Bucky stood and carried his plate to the galley. Steve followed. Jemma was still in the galley; she’d made more sandwiches and was biting into one herself.

Jemma covered her mouth and said, “Just leave your plates there,” when Bucky looked at a loss as to where to set it.

“Too bad Fitz isn’t here,” Jemma said with a sad twist of her lips. “He could look at your arm for you.”

Bucky froze. The only sound was the whirring of the plates on the metal arm as they shifted.

Jemma seemed to realize she’d said something wrong. “It’s just that it looks like it’s gotten pretty banged up,” she said. “I’m a biochemist, so it’s not my area, but Fitz is the best engineer . . .” Her voice trailed off.

“I’ve maintained it the best I could,” Bucky said.

“Of course you have,” Jemma said soothingly. “It’s just that Fitz is, was . . .” Jemma pinned a fake smile on her face. “Fitz was a genius with . . . He’d have been able to . . . Fitz created some of Hawkeye’s arrows.”

“Thank you for the offer,” Steve said gently, having heard the story of Fitz and Jemma’s ordeal.

Jemma gave them a silent nod, her lips pressed tightly together.

“Where’s the head?” Bucky said suddenly.

Jemma pointed and Bucky turned to head in that direction. Without realizing it, Steve had taken a step to follow.

Bucky gave Steve a look. “I think I can manage this part all on my own, Rogers.”

Steve’s face went hot. “Of course, Buck.”

~*~

In his hurry to get away from the awkwardness in the galley, Steve ended up in the command center. “How’s it going?” he said, as if that’s why he’d showed up.

“They’re good,” Skye said. “I’m better. Take that, you bastard!”

Coulson, who’d been talking softly with Agent May while Skye worked now gave Skye an indulgent look. May rolled her eyes, uncaring that she was caught doing so by Steve.

“How long before we get there?” Steve asked May.

“Couple hours.”

Steve nodded. “Alright, thanks.” Steve backed out of the command center and touched his earbud as he moved over to the lounge area.

“What’s up, Steve?” Maria said into his ear.

“Anything new?”

“No movement,” Maria said. “Looks like they’ve hunkered down and are just waiting. How’s it going on your end?”

“It’s going, I guess.”

“Waiting’s the hardest part,” Maria said.

“Yeah.”

Steve signed off and considered sitting down and trying to rest. Instead he decided to see if Natasha and Clint were still sparring. When he stepped through the door, Steve spotted Bucky on the catwalk. Steve crossed the grating to Bucky, who was squatting, his arms resting on the railing as he watched Natasha and Clint below him on the mat. No, not watching, studying.

Steve squatted beside Bucky. “You’re not going to have to fight either of them.”

Bucky shrugged, but didn’t stop watching, evaluating.

Thankfully Maria interrupted before Steve had to think of something else to say to fill the silence between him and Bucky. “Steve, go to the command center, please. I’ve got someone here who wants to see you.”

“What? Oh! Oh, I should’ve thought of that . . .”

“And bring Barnes,” Maria said before signing off.

“Oh,” Steve said, suddenly feeling shy. “Um.”

“Spit it out, Steve,” Bucky said without looking away from the scene below them.

“Would you come with me? Please. I need to show you something. Show you _to_ someone, actually.”

Bucky narrowed his eyes, but he stood and followed Steve back into the living quarters with just one last look at Natasha and Clint. In the command center, Coulson was talking to Maria and Skye was concentrating on the laptop. As there was no sign of May, she’d probably returned to the cockpit.

Maria spotted Steve. “There you are.”

Becca’s voice came from Maria’s right. “Where is he?”

Maria gave Steve a look, then stood so Becca could take her seat.

“Steve!” Becca said when she saw him. Her eyes darted around. “Did you find him?”

“I did,” Steve said, a lump suddenly forming in his throat. Steve turned his head to look at Bucky, who hovered outside the door. Steve held out his hand.

Bucky took a tentative step into the command center. It was enough for the camera to pick up on him.

Becca’s eyes lit up. “Sasha!” she said, then immediately let out a string of Russian.

Steve’s heart beat faster when Bucky answered her in the same language. He remembered the Bucky who’d loved to learn, who’d dreamt about a future filled with fantastical things, like flying cars.

Becca turned her tear-filled eyes onto Steve. “You promised you’d bring him home,” she said accusingly.

Bucky turned a very similar glare onto Steve. “You told her that?”

Steve ignored Bucky to address Becca’s concern. “I did promise, and I won’t come home without him.”

“Pinky swear?”

Steve held up his hand, all but the pinky curled under. Becca did the same back in New York. “Pinky swear,” Steve said.

“That was fucking adorable,” Skye said.

“Language,” Steve and Becca said as one.

“She needs to put a dollar in the swear jar, right?” Becca said to Steve.

Steve nodded solemnly. “She does.”

“What?” Skye said.

“I’ll make sure of it,” Steve said.

“Oh my god, I was just reprimanded by Captain America,” Skye said. “That’s kinda hot, actually.”

“Skye,” Coulson said in a warning tone.

Skye ducked her head. “Working.”

Steve figured Coulson must’ve been pretty irritated with Skye for what she’d just said, because his own face had gotten kind of pink.

~*~*~*~

Bucky waited for Steve to say goodbye and the image of Becca to disappear before storming out of the command center.

“Captain Rogers,” Coulson said before Steve could follow him. “He can’t go far.”

They were on a renovated and re-purposed Boeing C-17; of course Bucky wouldn’t be able to go far. Unless he took the jet. Or jumped.

“The Quinjet is locked down and there’d be an alarm if he tried to lower the ramp while we’re in the air,” Coulson said, as if reading Steve’s mind.

“Yes, of course, I just . . .”

“I understand,” Coulson said. He got a faraway look in his eyes, then blinked it away. “Why don’t we get a cup of coffee and you can tell me what _your_ plan was.”

“Plan?”

“For infiltrating the HYDRA base,” Coulson clarified.

“Well.” Steve rubbed the back of his head as he followed Coulson out of the command center. “My plan was basically, find Bucky, offer back-up.”

Coulson paused in setting up the coffee maker and stared at Steve as if he was seeing him for the first time. “Were all your plans ‘seat of the pants’?”

“No!” Steve said.

At the same time, Bucky said, “Pretty much.”

“Bucky,” Steve said in relief.

Coulson shook his head in disillusionment. “The comics never said this.”

“Apparently the comics got a lot wrong. Steve says I was the ‘sidekick’?”

“Hmm, yes.” Coulson pressed some buttons on the coffee maker. “In fact, the Bucky Barnes in the comics was a teenager.”

“What? What was a teenager doing in the war?”

“It made sense at the time,” Coulson said. “Of course, I was twelve and wanted to _be_ Bucky Barnes.”

“You didn’t want to be Captain America?” Bucky said.

“No offense to you, Sergeant Barnes, since, as we’ve already established, the comics got a long wrong, but the superhero was never something I could see myself as, but I dreamt about being his teenaged sidekick.”

“Aww,” Clint said. “You’re my superhero.”

Coulson gave Clint a discouraging look that Clint ignored. He swooped in for a kiss that Coulson didn’t try very hard to evade.

“You guys done beating up on each other?” Steve said to Natasha, who stood on the other side of a now-tense Bucky.

“I went easy on him,” Natasha said, moving around the counter and pouring the coffee, which had finished brewing while they were talking. “He needs something leftover for when we take on HYDRA.”

“You okay?” Steve said to Bucky, lowering his voice so the others wouldn’t overhear.

“People can just do that in the future?” Bucky said.

“What are you . . . Oh.”

Clint and Coulson were no longer kissing, but they each had an arm around the other and were talking softly to each other.

“Yeah,” Steve said. “I mean, some people still take offense, but it’s more accepted these days. In some states, including New York, same-sex marriage is even legal now. One good thing about the twenty-first century.”

Natasha set a cup of coffee in front of Steve with a bottle of flavored creamer. “Barnes, you want a cup?”

“Um,” Bucky said, his gaze not meeting Natasha’s.

Natasha followed Bucky’s gaze and brought over the bowl of fruit Bucky had spied. “Help yourself.”

Bucky glanced at Steve, then Coulson.

“You’re welcome to anything we have here, Sergeant Barnes,” Coulson said.

“Thank you,” Bucky said. He reached into the bowl and took a plum. When no one said anything, or seemed to be paying attention, he took a second.

Steve wanted to put a hurt on anyone who’d ever made Bucky feel like he couldn’t have a damned piece of fruit if he wanted it. Anger turned into something else and Steve had to look away when Bucky took a bite of the plum after shining it on his jacket.

Steve concentrated on fixing his coffee with the – he checked the bottle – Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup flavored creamer. He’d never tried that kind before. Must be Clint’s. Or maybe Skye’s. Steve took a sip and let the taste settle on his tongue. Not too bad. He took a second sip before daring to look at Bucky. He’d licked the plum juice off his lip while Steve was busy with his coffee, which was both a relief and a disappointment. Steve couldn’t deny that he’d wanted to lick it off himself.

“What about the fancy car in the cargo hold?” Bucky said.

Coulson raised his eyebrows. “What about Lola?”

“Lola,” Bucky repeated. “Nice name. You said I was welcome to anything you had.”

“Ah,” Coulson said. “Sorry. Nobody touches Lola. Anything but that.”

“Hey!”

“Anything but Lola and Clint,” Coulson amended.

Steve ducked his head to hide a smile. “Bucky,” he said suddenly when Bucky made a move to leave.

Bucky gave Steve a look.

“Can we talk? Please.”

“That would be different, wouldn’t it?” Bucky turned to walk away, giving Steve a ‘well?’ look over his shoulder.

Steve followed Bucky into the lounge area and took the chair next to the one Bucky had settled into. Steve leaned back, then sat forward, elbows resting on his knees as he stared at the light colored coffee. There was so much he wanted to say to Bucky, and it all swirled around inside his head.

“I’m sorry,” Steve started. “That I didn’t find you before HYDRA did.”

“Are you still beating yourself up about that?” Bucky sighed and Steve could easily picture the eye roll. “What am I saying, of course you are.”

“How can you say that?” Steve hissed. “After everything you’ve been through? After everything they did to you?”

“I can say that because none of that was your fault.”

Steve shook his head in denial.

“What is your fault,” Bucky continued, “is this situation we find ourselves in now.”

Steve glanced around the living area of the Bus guiltily. “Yeah, about that. I was worried about you.”

“You didn’t think I could handle myself?” Bucky said dangerously.

“I know you can handle yourself, Buck,” Steve said. “I didn’t think you knew what you were walking into. I just wanted to help.” He hated that it came out as a whine.

Before Bucky could light into Steve about his presumption, there was a holler from the command center. Steve glanced over and saw Coulson moving into the fish bowl with a speed that belied his unruffled exterior. Clint and Natasha followed; Natasha giving Steve a look through the glass.

Steve looked to Bucky for permission to follow them.

“We’re not done with this,” Bucky said.

Steve shook his head.

“Let’s go see what the dame found.”

“I don’t think women like being called dames these days,” Steve said.

“Why not?”

Steve shrugged.

~*~*~*~

Skye’s fingers were still moving rapidly over the keys when Steve and Bucky joined the others in the command center.

“You’d think these guys would have better cyber security,” Skye muttered.

“Luckily for us they don’t,” Coulson said.

“Are you sure it’s not a trap?” Maria said.

Steve glanced at the image of Maria on the large computer screen, then moved over to the screen where Skye had thrown up a blueprint.

“It wasn’t that easy to get in,” Skye said. “They’ve got great external protection. It’s just that, once you’re in you have access to _everything_. They didn’t partition anything.”

“What are you doing?” Coulson said, looking over Skye’s shoulder.

“Taking it all.” Skye grinned up at Coulson. “It would be rude not to since they’ve basically offered it up on a silver platter.”

Skye frowned at the screen. “Only, I’m not sure I have enough space to hold all the information.”

Natasha cleared her throat. “I might be able to help with that.” She held out her hand, a thumb drive pinched between thumb and index finger. “Or rather, JARVIS might be able to help with that.”

“A.C.?”

“JARVIS can store the information and sort through it for anything we might need to know before executing our mission,” Natasha said to Coulson.

Natasha and Coulson stared at each other in silent communication. Finally Coulson nodded. Skye gave a little squee and snatched the drive away from Natasha.

Natasha glanced at Steve as if she expected to see judgment on his face. He was trusting Tony and Natasha with the most important people in his life, he could trust them with HYDRA. He nodded his understanding.

“How does this work?” Skye said. “I just plug it in and . . . ?”

“Yes, Agent Skye,” JARVIS said. “That will give me access to your laptop and, through it, HYDRA’s system.”

Skye stared open-mouthed at the thumb drive. “How . . . ?”

“My apologies, Agent Skye,” JARVIS said. “I’m speaking to you from the Tower through the connection Agent Hill set up.”

“Phew!” Skye glanced over at the screen. “For a second there I thought I was losing my mind.”

“One doesn’t preclude the other,” JARVIS said.

“Oh!” Skye slotted the drive into the port on the side of the laptop. “Someone’s got a snarky sense of humor.”

“I apologize once again,” JARVIS said. “Sir couldn’t help himself while he was programming me.”

“Hey!” Tony rolled his chair into camera view. “What’s taking so long over there? Less talking and more doing.” Tony snapped his fingers.

Out of Tony’s view, Skye rolled her eyes.

Steve ignored the rest of the banter between Tony and Skye and studied the layout of the HYDRA base. Bucky stepped up beside Steve.

“Look familiar?”

Bucky shook his head even as he reached out to touch the screen. “Some, but it’s just, like, shards. A lot of the bases had the same layout, but buildings like this one, that weren’t hidden, could be different.”

“Well,” Steve said with forced joviality. “It’s about time we paid them a visit.”

Bucky gave Steve a look. Steve raised his eyebrows in silent question.

“Were you always this corny?”

“Based on current experience,” Natasha said as she joined them, “the answer to that question is an unequivocal yes.”

Steve’s cheeks heated. “Let’s just come up with a plan.” He ignored Natasha’s salute and asked Bucky, “Will HYDRA have any points of entry other than the obvious?” Steve pointed to the areas marked ‘front entrance’ and ‘utility entrance’.

Bucky gave Steve a look that said, what do you think?

“Okay, stupid question. They’ll have means for a quick getaway, so either a rooftop helipad or a hangar.”

“This is a multi-story building located in a populated area, so probably not a hangar,” Natasha said. “Nobody questions a helipad these days.”

“There’s an underground parking garage,” Steve said. “Still not out of the ordinary.”

“And there might be an emergency escape tunnel,” Bucky said. “It would come out in one of these neighboring buildings.”

“We need a street view of the base,” Steve said. “Maybe Maria . . .”

“What’s the address?” Clint said.

Bucky reeled it off and Clint typed it into the computer. A moment later the screen was filled with a dozen photos of the area, including a 360 degree view that Clint sent spinning with a touch.

Clint grinned. “I love Google Earth.”

This base was set up to look like an office building. According to Google Translate, the gold lettering on the front double glass doors said _Red Baron Research_ , which seemed innocuous unless you’d met the Red Skull and knew that Baron Wolfgang von Strucker was a former leader of HYDRA. Based on the directory, the building housed a think tank and a research lab. Steve seethed at the thought of HYDRA doing their research and carrying out their horrible plans right out in the open like that.

“Given the location in the middle of a populated area we can’t just storm the place,” Coulson said from behind them.

Steve threw a look over his shoulder. Coulson stood near Skye, but he was looking at the base layout and the photos Clint had pulled up.

“They won’t be expecting us,” Clint said, “so we’ve got that going for us.”

~*~

Coulson, wearing a vest under his suit and carrying a briefcase loaded with weapons, walked in the front door. Natasha, in a pantsuit to cover her Black Widow uniform, was on his six; Clint atop a building across the street to keep an eye on the exit from the underground parking lot. Steve and Bucky entered via the tunnel they’d uncovered, and May and Skye took the rear entrance.

The skeleton security crew that had been left behind was embarrassingly easy to overcome. By the time they’d finished subduing the HYDRA agents, a few had gunshot wounds that would need attention once they cleared the other floors, but most had surrendered when they realized they were outmatched, if not outnumbered.

Skye locked down the elevators so they didn’t have to worry about anyone attempting to escape that way, and they moved floor to floor. Most of the scientists and analysts surrendered immediately. A few were die-hard HYDRA operatives and had to be taken by force. One blanched when he saw Bucky and immediately began speaking in Russian. Bucky kicked him in the head, which silenced him.

“What was that?” Steve said.

Bucky’s jaw worked. “Trigger words,” he said tersely.

“Trigger words for what?” Steve said.

Bucky gave him a look. “For the Soldier.”

Steve’s blood ran cold at the thought that any HYDRA agent that knew the appropriate words could turn Bucky back into a mindless killing machine. When the agent stirred Steve hit him with the shield and he slumped motionless on the floor.

Once the building was cleared, Bucky led the way to a lab slash examination room the likes of which Steve had only seen once before – in the Austrian HYDRA Weapons Facility at Kreischberg – and hoped to never see again. This one was worse.

Bucky ignored the chair that Steve couldn’t take his eyes off of and walked over to the wall. A couple of punches with his metal arm revealed a hidden safe. Bucky didn’t even try to unlock it; he punched the hinges until they gave a little bit and then the combined effort of his and Steve’s strength tore the door off.

There were a bunch of files inside the safe. Bucky grabbed the pile and handed it to Steve, then reached for a red leather book with a star on the cover. He slipped it inside his jacket.

“What’s that?”

“Later.”

Steve bit back the urge to demand answers. “Okay. You done here?”

Bucky nodded.

Steve handed the files back to Bucky and used his shield to destroy the chair.

~*~*~*~

It was a race to get to the next base on Bucky’s list before HYDRA realized they’d been had and reinforced it. Coulson and May took the prisoners back to The Playground, one of Fury’s secret bases. Clint, Skye and someone named Antoine Triplett joined Steve, Bucky and Natasha to take down the base outside Jurmala, Latvia.

They didn’t bother retrieving their Quinjet, but without Tony’s over-sized personality there was plenty of room for the six of them. Clint dropped Natasha on the roof, then hovered in front of the entrance. Skye typed furiously, muttering to herself and to JARVIS, who was helping from New York to get into their system so they could unlock the front doors.

“Any time, now,” Clint said without much heat.

“Got it!” Skye said.

The base had been warned, so they didn’t bother with stealth. The front doors slid open and Clint fired a missile through the opening. Before the dust had cleared Steve was storming the base with the shield in one hand, a gun in the other, and Bucky at his right. It was more of a firefight than the last base, which was fine with Steve. He had a lot of aggression to work off after Bucky had explained about the red book and the trigger words on the Quinjet on the way there.

The base was only lightly manned even before Bucky had lured some of the agents off, so the battle didn’t last long. They did a sweep of the base and left most of the computer work to Skye and JARVIS, and the clean-up to Coulson and SHIELD.

“What’s next?” Steve asked Bucky as they watched agents and computers and weapons being loaded onto the Bus, which had joined them after dropping off their last load of prisoners.

“There are still a lot of bases and safe houses out there,” Bucky said.

“Yes. But you don’t have to do it all alone.”

When Bucky didn’t answer right away, Steve said, “Bucky, you said there was one more child . . .”

Bucky stiffened, then deliberately let his shoulders relax. “I was too late.”

“Too late? You mean they moved him, or . . . ?”

“They terminated him,” Bucky said, his voice dull.

Steve had suspected, but hearing Bucky say it was horrifying. “Why would they do that? They put so much effort into creating them . . .”

“Either they realized I was coming for him and didn’t want him to fall into my, your, hands, or he . . . malfunctioned.”

“Malfunctioned? He’s a child!”

“Not to them,” Bucky said. “To them he’s a weapon.”

“Bucky.” Steve squeezed Bucky’s shoulder. “I’m sorry.”

Bucky shrugged as if it didn’t matter, but Steve could tell that it bothered him. Heck, Steve had only known Stevie and Becca for a few weeks and he couldn’t imagine someone just . . . disposing of them, like a busted toaster or vacuum cleaner. Steve changed the subject.

“So, Agent Triplett. I remember why his name sounded familiar.” Steve paused for a reaction from Bucky. When he didn’t get one, Steve continued. “I did some research when I . . . came back. About the Howlies. I wanted to know what kind of lives they’d lived. After the war.”

That did get Bucky’s attention. “Well?”

Steve smiled. He jerked his chin toward Triplett. “Gabe Jones had a grandson.”

Triplett must’ve felt their gazes on him because he glanced over, then did a double-take. Triplett ran a hand over his head and said something to Coulson, which caused him to glance their way as well. Coulson nodded, then continued his conversation with Skye, probably about the information she and JARVIS had been able to recover from the computer system.

Triplett gave Steve and Bucky a sheepish look and headed their way. “Hey,” he said when he was close enough. “I wanted to tell you myself, but the time didn’t seem right. Who told you?”

“Wikipedia,” Steve said.

Triplett laughed until he realized that Steve wasn’t laughing with him. “Wait, you’re serious?”

Triplett seemed to understand that Steve didn’t want to talk about how hard it had been for him to adjust after they thawed him out. He went on without waiting for Steve to reply. “Grandpa is probably dancin’ in heaven right now. The stories he told. Bet he never imagined I’d meet the two of you.”

“Bet no one did,” Bucky said wryly.

Triplett nodded, then shook himself. “He’d smack me for my manners; I haven’t properly introduced myself.” Triplett extended his hand. “Antoine Triplett. My friends call me Trip.”

Steve took Trip’s hand. “Steve Rogers.” Steve ignored Trip’s grin and Bucky’s snort. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. Your grandfather was a great man.”

Bucky didn’t take Trip’s hand when Steve released it, but Trip seemed to understand and not take offense. Steve placed his hand on Bucky’s shoulder. “This is Sergeant James Barnes.”

Trip nodded and his grin grew until it nearly split his face. “It is such an honor to meet you both.”

“Yo, Trip,” Clint called. “If you’re done embarrassing Cap, you can come help us.”

“Guess I better get going,” Trip said.

Steve clapped Trip’s shoulder. “Thanks for your help today, son.”

Trip’s expression went awed and he nearly tripped over his own feet when he turned away. Clint gave Steve a ‘seriously?’ look and Bucky made a sound that wasn’t quite a snort, wasn’t quite a chuckle.

“Shut up, Buck,” Steve muttered. He turned to face Bucky. “We didn’t finish our conversation. What’s next?”

“We need to keep taking out HYDRA bases until there’s nothing left. Not the tiniest seed. The children won’t be safe until we do.”

Steve couldn’t argue with that because neither would Bucky be safe.

~*~*~*~

Clint flew Steve, Bucky and Natasha back to Bucharest. Steve had told Natasha that he and Bucky were going to take out the base and offered her the option of bowing out. She’d just given him a look and continued sharpening her blade. Coulson had his hands full with the over-crowded cells and infirmary at The Playground. He needed to interrogate some of their prisoners and hand them over to General Talbot. Coulson reluctantly sent Clint with them.

“If Director Coulson needs you, Clint, you can just drop us off and head back.”

Clint laughed. “Nah, Phil’s just jealous because he wants to be here, fighting at Captain America’s side.”

Bucky crossed his arms and stared at Steve with a raised eyebrow.

“Uh, shouldn’t we be planning our mission?” Steve said.

“You mean you’re not going to just kick in the door and stride in like you’re in some movie?” Natasha said.

“I don’t know what you mean,” Steve said, ignoring three sets of judgmental eyes.

~*~

With Maria’s help and the blueprints Skye had found, they planned their assault on the base. Once word got back to the agents gathered at the base outside Bucharest that they weren’t going to be able to spring their trap on Bucky, some of them had cleared out. Since JARVIS was already in their system, he’d gained access to the tracking systems in the helos and SUVs that had left the base in the last twenty-four hours and would know their final destinations.

Some of the additional forces had remained, however – probably strike teams from the two bases they’d just hit, since they now had no base to return to – which meant that taking this base wouldn’t be as easy as the other two had been. On top of that, they had fewer people on their side.

Steve didn’t say anything, but Maria must’ve guessed his concern. “I’m sending back-up,” Maria said before she signed off. “They’ll meet you there.”

While they waited for their back-up to arrive Bucky stripped and cleaned his weapons. After he caught Steve watching him, Bucky set a Glock 19 on the table. “You remember how to do this?”

Steve was happy to be given something to do, and pleased that Bucky had been the one to do so. Steve sat across from Bucky and disassembled the gun. Clint and Natasha had already checked their weapons. They sat in the cockpit talking softly, but every so often Steve felt Natasha’s eyes on him. Steve was glad to have a reason to ignore her too-perceptive gaze.

~*~

The guns were all cleaned, the knives and grenades sorted. Clint was snoring in the front of the jet while Natasha tossed a knife into the air and caught it. Bucky had his eyes closed, but Steve could tell by the stiff set of his shoulders and the way the corners of his mouth tightened each time Natasha released the knife that he wasn’t asleep.

Steve gave Natasha an exasperated look that she returned with one of faux innocence. Still, she eventually put the knife away and closed her eyes, though Steve doubted that she was sleeping any more than Bucky was. Still, the illusion of privacy was enough for Steve to ask Bucky a question that he’d been pondering for a while.

“Bucky,” Steve said softly. He waited until Bucky cracked an eye and looked at him. “Buck, how did you know about the kids?”

Bucky closed his eye and Steve thought he wasn’t going to get an answer. Bucky sighed and pushed himself up so he was sitting straight. “They had one at the same base where they were holding me, once. About a year and a half ago, far as I can figure. He was the tiniest little thing. Just walking, I think. Spitting image of you.”

Steve waited a moment when Bucky paused, then said, “What happened?”

The corner of Bucky’s jaw worked. “The sight of him broke my conditioning. I tried to escape with him. Didn’t work, obviously.”

“Did they hurt you?” Steve said, even though he really didn’t want to know.

Bucky shifted his gaze away from Steve. “I don’t remember.”

It was a lie, and Steve hated how grateful he was for it. Before he had to face his own shortcoming in that regard Tony’s voice came over comms.

Clint came awake and toggled a switch that would let Tony know exactly where their cloaked jet was so he wouldn’t land on top of them.

Bucky went stiff.

“It’ll be fine, Buck,” Steve said.

Bucky gave Steve the same look he’d given Steve each time he’d promised not to get into another fight. They’d both known that Steve wouldn’t be able to stand by and watch someone being picked on. Steve had never been able to keep those promises, and, as much as he hated it, probably not this one, either.

Something pinged the hull of the jet.

“What’s the magic word?” Natasha said into comms as she moved past Steve to the ramp. Steve couldn’t hear Tony’s reply, but Natasha rolled her eyes and lowered the ramp.

Tony walked up the ramp, his gaze finding Bucky, who sat with his hands open on his legs, trying to look as nonthreatening as possible. Steve stepped up to Tony, blocking his view of Bucky. He extended his hand. “Tony, thanks for coming.”

Tony took Steve’s hand with a raised eyebrow that said he knew what Steve was up to. “Any time, Cap.”

“Hello, Sam,” Natasha said, which made Steve look past Tony.

“Sam? What are you doing here? Aren’t you still on medical leave?”

“I got cleared,” Sam said.

“Are you sure . . . ?”

“It’s rich hearing you worry about me going back into action too early. A little pot/kettle if you ask me.”

Bucky snorted.

“Has he always been like that?” Sam said, directing the question around Steve to Bucky.

Bucky glanced at Steve, then nodded. “Always thought he was indestructible, even before the serum.”

“Hey,” Steve said, his pleasure that Sam and Bucky were speaking civilly to each other tempered by the fact that they were bonding over his apparent short-comings.

“Sounds like Cap,” Tony said.

Bucky, reminded of Tony’s presence, looked at Tony and lowered his eyes.

“Tony,” Steve said, part warning.

Tony ignored Steve. “You and I need to have a talk,” he said to Bucky. “But it can wait until after we kick some HYDRA ass, yeah?”

Bucky looked at Tony, nodded.

Tony glared at Steve. “Don’t think you’re getting off easy, either.”

Tony rubbed his hands together as if washing them of the awkward conversation the three of them were going to have. “So, what’s the plan?”

~*~*~*~

They flew to the base in two cloaked jets. Tony blew the front door with a missile, then Steve, Bucky and Tony disembarked and JARVIS remote-controlled the still-cloaked jet to a safe distance. A gun emplacement rose from what had originally appeared to be the side of a hill and targeted the three of them. Clint fired a second missile before they could get a shot off. One of the guns that hadn’t been disabled targeted the direction the missile had come from and opened fire.

Steve ignored the guns. Even without Clint’s voice in his ear Steve knew he would’ve moved the jet out of the line of fire. The three of them entered the base, taking light fire from the HYDRA agents that hadn’t been killed in the initial blast. Steve’s shield deflected the bullets and Bucky’s gun, along with Tony’s repulsor ray, took out the enemy.

“Entry secured,” Steve said into comms. “We’re moving in. Sam?”

“On its way,” Sam said.

A moment later Redwing appeared behind them. The drone flew over their heads and preceded them deeper into the base.

“What do you see?” Steve said.

“Nothing,” Tony said. The drone’s feed was being streamed to his suit. “It’s quiet. Too quiet.”

“They’re drawing us in,” Bucky said.

“Where’s the most likely place for an ambush?” Steve said as he replayed the layout of the base in his mind.

A loud beeping ahead of them interrupted Steve’s contemplation.

“Locked room,” Tony said. “What’s back there?”

“Hangar and staging area,” Bucky said.

Steve imagined the layout. “Which means they have access to the armory and transportation.”

“You getting this, Wilson?” Tony said.

“Yep. We’re in position,” Sam said.

“Once we breach,” Steve said, “send Redwing high so we can see where everyone’s located, then send it out to continue recon and you can blow the roof.”

“Got it, Cap,” Sam said.

“Okay,” Steve said, and braced himself. “Three, two, one, breach.”

Tony aimed his palm at the doors and fired. Only Tony’s quick thinking with his own energy shield kept them from being blown up when the doors exploded open. HYDRA had set charges that Tony set off when he forced the doors.

Redwing hadn’t waited for them to recover before darting inside, its entrance hidden by the dust and smoke raised by the explosion. Sam started relaying information. After the drone finished a sweep of the room and exited, Steve said, “Bring down the roof.”

Steve held the shield in front of him while Tony aimed his repulsor rays at the open area that used to be a door. Bucky put his back to Steve’s so he could guard their six. Two missiles hit the retractable roof in quick succession above the heads of the HYDRA agents. Steve imagined the pandemonium as they realized that their ambush had been turned around on them.

“Surrender now and you won’t be harmed!” Steve called into the cavernous room.

“Hail HYDRA!” someone called back, followed by gunshots that lit up the energy shield Tony still held in front of them.

“Last chance!” Steve called.

His answer was another hail of bullets.

“Falcon, Black Widow, deploy,” Steve said. “Bucky, you ready?”

Bucky reached back and tapped Steve’s side twice.

Steve strode into the staging area, Tony at his side, Bucky right behind him. The three of them spread out from each other and started firing to draw the attention of the HYDRA agents away from the gaping hole in the ceiling where Sam was flying in with Natasha hanging from his arm. Sam was utilizing the wrist mounted machine gun on his other arm to cover their entrance.

Sam set Natasha on the top of an SUV and she immediately let fly some of her widow bites before flipping off the roof and onto the shoulder of a HYDRA agent that got too close. Sam went high and started firing the Steyr SPP machine pistols he pulled from the holsters of his EXO-7 suit.

Steve and Tony separated to different sides of the room. Bucky strode straight up the middle with what Steve had come to think of as his ‘means business’ walk. Above them, Clint stood at the edge of the hole he’d made and fired arrows at the agents who were trying to sneak up on them, including one who’d tried to sneak up on Clint and ended up falling into the hangar with an arrow through his throat.

It took them less than forty-five minutes from the first missile to when everyone had been killed, injured, or surrendered when they realized they couldn’t win this particular battle. One agent that Steve figured was in charge given the number of men who’d died trying to protect him, spoke a few words in Russian to Bucky.

Bucky’s shoulders stiffened and then relaxed. He pointed to his ears where modified comms worked as ear plugs and said, “Sorry, can’t hear you.”

The agent kept speaking anyway.

Steve stepped between him and Bucky. “Shut up.” When the agent did not cease speaking, Steve knocked him out with the flat of the shield.

Steve turned around to see Bucky trying to pull a round metal disc off his metal arm. An electrical pulse disrupted the arm. Bucky fell to his knees, scrabbling desperately at the disc, his face screwed up in pain. Bucky’s entire body began to spasm as he fell over, biting through his lip when he couldn’t stop himself from screaming in pain.

Steve raced over and caught Bucky’s head so it didn’t slam against the floor. He got a shock when he touched the disc, but Steve refused to let go. He pulled until it finally released from Bucky’s arm. Steve dropped the disc and examined Bucky. His arm was still sparking, his body spasming from the electrical charge even though the disc had detached.

“Bucky?” Steve said worriedly, but Bucky didn’t respond.

~*~*~*~

“It’s the arm,” Tony said. “It’s still shocking him.”

“I know!” Steve said. He was losing his cool because he couldn’t stand to see Bucky in pain, especially after everything he’d already gone through.

“We need to remove it,” Tony said.

“Do you know how?” Sam said.

Steve looked up at Tony who shook his head. “But I can figure it out. Let’s get him to medical. JARVIS?”

“I’ve found their medical facilities,” JARVIS said over comms.

“Is it close?” Tony said.

“Close enough, I believe.”

“Okay,” Tony said. “You take his shoulders and I’ll . . .”

“I’ve got him.” Steve put the shield on his back and picked up Bucky.

“Or that,” Tony said. “Let’s go.”

Steve suddenly realized that he was leaving the others to deal with a room full of enemy agents. Natasha must’ve read his mind. She gave Steve a look. “We’ve got this, Captain.”

Steve nodded and followed Tony towards the doorway. Through the blown-open doors Steve heard Natasha speaking behind them.

“To all of you, that man is known as the Winter Soldier. The Asset. Soldat. But to Steve Rogers he’s known as Sergeant James Barnes. Best friend. And the moment Steve Rogers makes sure that Barnes is safe, he’ll be back to find out who placed this disc on his arm. Any way necessary.”

“Captain America wouldn’t condone torture,” someone said with a sneer, as if it was a shortcoming.

“Captain America might not, but if anything happens to Barnes you’re not going to be facing Captain America. And you really don’t want to meet Steve Rogers when he’s pissed off. So, who’s going to talk first?”

~*~

The walk to the medical facilities seemed interminable with Bucky jerking in Steve’s arms, moaning even in his unconscious state. Steve laid Bucky onto an exam table and Tony immediately held out his hand.

“We need a scan of the arm and shoulder, J.”

A hologram popped up in mid-air.

“Wait,” Steve said. “If you didn’t need the equipment here, why . . . ?”

“Do you really want any of those vultures to see what we’re going to have to do to him?” Tony said gently.

Steve deflated. “No.”

“Besides, we’re going to need some of the supplies here to wrap his shoulder when we’re done,” Tony said as he studied the scan. He shook his head. “Jesus, this arm is _primitive_. It’s practically a torture device.”

“What do you mean?” Steve studied the scan, trying to see what Tony saw.

Tony pointed to an area. “The way they’ve attached it to his bones here . . .”

Tony trailed off and Steve didn’t push him. Steve wasn’t sure he wanted to know.

“Can you remove it?”

“Yes,” Tony said in the tone Steve had come to recognize as his ‘or die trying’ voice.

Tony probed the metal arm near Bucky’s shoulder, glancing at the scan as he did so. “There’s got to be an access panel . . .” Tony made a sound of success and popped open a panel.

Steve gripped Bucky’s hand when he groaned, as if he knew what was coming, and wished he could do more.

Tony produced a screwdriver and went to work. Every once in a while Tony got shocked by the arm, as if it was fighting back, and he swore. Finally Tony looked at Steve. “This might hurt.”

“Why?”

“Because I don’t think they cared.” Tony took hold of the arm with both hands and twisted it.

Bucky screamed, then went silent and so still that Steve checked his pulse to make sure Bucky was still alive.

Tony carefully set the arm down and took a few staggering steps away from the exam table. “I think I’m going to be sick.”

~*~

Steve and Tony flew back to the Tower with an unconscious Bucky, leaving Natasha, Sam and Clint to hold down the base until Coulson arrived to take the prisoners off their hands. (And to have the fun of watching it blow up after they’d gotten all the information they could off the computer system.) Tony piloted the jet while Steve sat in the back beside Bucky. He held Bucky’s hand and talked in case Bucky could hear him. And also because the silence was unnerving.

Steve told Bucky about the number of times he’d saved Steve’s ass as kids, how he’d dragged him out of alleys bloodied and bruised, how he’d stayed by Steve’s side on the worst days when he couldn’t get out of bed. Steve talked about how lost and lonely he’d been when they’d thawed him out. He told Bucky about the time Stevie peed on him while he was changing the boy’s diaper, and about introducing Becca to Disney movies.

“She was just a _number_ to them, Buck. If I didn’t already hate them for what they did to you – and everything they stand for, of course – I’d hate them for that alone.”

~*~

They set Bucky up in a reinforced room in the Med Bay that Tony had built for Hulk. As soon as Bucky was hooked up to all the monitors Steve took Tony’s advice to get a shower and let the kids know he was home.

Steve did, but only after impressing upon Tony the necessity for no one to be in the room when Bucky woke up except Steve. Bucky would be disoriented under the best of circumstances, but even worse was the fear that the electrical shocks had done something to Bucky’s mind to make him forget again.

When Steve, freshly showered, went to find Becca, she was in the communal living room with . . . “Agent Carter,” Steve said.

Carter looked up from the coloring book and gave Steve an awkward smile. “Sharon,” she reminded him, then explained, “Maria called me in, said you needed back-up.” She indicated Becca, who was already trying to climb Steve to get his attention.

“Did you bring him home?” Becca demanded.

“I did,” Steve said gravely, even though it wasn’t how he’d wanted to bring Bucky home.

“Where is he?”

Steve squatted down to be nearer Becca’s height. “Bucky, Sasha, is going to be fine, but he was hurt. He’s in medical right now.”

Becca’s eyes went suspiciously glassy. “I want to see him. Please.”

It was the ‘please’ that made the backs of Steve’s eyes burn. He pulled Becca into a hug. “Of course,” he said. “Of course you can see him.”

~*~

Becca studied Bucky through the reinforced glass. “He’s gonna be okay, though, right?”

Steve pushed down his own fears and pulled on his public ‘Captain America’ persona. “Bucky is going to be fine,” Steve said. “Before you know it, you’ll be coloring and watching movies with him.”

Steve looked at Bucky lying too still and quiet in the bed and offered up a prayer to whoever was listening that Bucky be alright.


	4. A New Arm, Kisses, and Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bucky thinks that the only way to keep Becca and Stevie safe is to continue his war on HYDRA until there's no longer a threat. Steve wonders if there might be another way.

Steve was sleeping fitfully, having tossed and turned after finally getting the kids to sleep, when JARVIS woke him.

“Sorry to wake you, Captain Rogers, but Sergeant Barnes’ vitals signs indicate that he might be waking soon.”

“No, thank you, JARVIS,” Steve said groggily, his brain resisting waking since he’d just gotten to sleep, even though his body was already moving. Steve asked JARVIS to let Sharon know that he needed her to keep an eye on the kids. JARVIS promised to monitor them until she arrived.

Steve took the elevator only because he was afraid he’d fall on the stairs trying to rush, with the state he was in. Bucky was still out when Steve arrived, and if JARVIS hadn’t informed Steve that there was a change in Bucky’s vitals, Steve wouldn’t have noticed one. He was so . . . still. It was very un-Bucky-like.

Steve touched Bucky’s hand. “Hey, Buck, I’m here. It’s okay to wake up. You’re safe.”

Steve pulled the chair closer to the bed and sat in it, watching Bucky. Remembering a time before the war, when Bucky hadn’t been able to sit still except for the times he was wrapped around Steve, offering warmth or . . . more.

Even when he’d been immersed in a book, some part of Bucky had always been in motion – fingers tapping, legs bouncing, feet dancing. The only time Bucky had remained motionless was when Steve was drawing him, and even that hadn’t lasted long. He’d soon bounce over to Steve to look over his shoulder and see how the drawing was turning out. Or to tease Steve until they were both . . .

Steve shook away those memories and let his thoughts drift to the war. He remembered how Bucky’s need to be in motion had changed after Azzano. But even compared to the stillness that would come over Bucky during the war, this was . . . unnatural.

Steve’s eyes slipped closed and jerked back open what felt like a moment later (but was actually a couple hours later according to JARVIS) when Natasha spread a blanket over him.

“Hey, you’re back,” Steve said, stretching. “Time ‘s it?”

Natasha filled Steve in on what had happened after he, Tony and Bucky had left Bucharest, and Steve told Natasha about Becca’s reception and Sharon’s presence in the Tower until Bucky stirred. Steve sat up like a retriever and waited for Bucky to move again.

When Bucky did, Steve said to Natasha, “You need to leave.”

“Steve,” Natasha said in a warning tone.

“Don’t,” Steve said. “You can wait right outside the door if you want, but I’m going to be the only one in here when Bucky wakes up.”

Natasha studied Steve’s face. “Fine, but I’m coming in the moment he looks dangerous.”

“Come in when I tell you.”

“Sure, unless he’s got a hand around your throat and you can’t speak.”

“It won’t come to that,” Steve said with more bravado than he actually felt.

“Anybody ever tell you that you’ve got a blind spot about yea big?” Natasha said, gesturing towards Bucky.

“No, I’ve never heard that before,” Steve lied.

“Seriously, Steve . . .”

“I won’t take any chances.”

Natasha rolled her eyes. “Every time you speak it gets more blatantly untrue.”

“No _unnecessary_ chances,” Steve amended.

With one final look at Bucky, Natasha headed for the door. Steve waited for Natasha to make a show of pulling the door shut behind her before turning back to Bucky. Who was watching Steve through slitted eyes.

“Bucky,” Steve said, breathless with relief and a teensy bit of fear that Bucky’d forgotten who he was again.

“She’s not wrong,” Bucky said, his voice gravelly from sleep.

“Don’t you start on me, too.” Steve picked up the cup beside the bed and held the straw to Bucky’s mouth until he indicated that he’d had enough. “How do you feel?”

“Like I was run over by a tank,” Bucky said. At the expression on Steve’s face, he said, “I wasn’t run over by a tank, was I?”

Steve shook his head. “Someone attached a disc to your metal arm. You were subjected to . . . a lot of electrical shocks.”

Bucky’s eyes glazed over.

Steve leaned forward and placed a hand on Bucky’s arm. “Bucky?”

“I remember those,” Bucky said.

“Those?”

Bucky gave Steve a look. “That. I remember that.”

Steve had the dual sensation of wanting to strangle someone and wanting to throw up. He clenched his fists at his side. “This wasn’t the first time they used one of those things on you?”

Bucky shrugged, then stiffened. “Where’s my arm?”

“We had to remove it,” Steve said. “Even after I detached the disc, your arm kept shocking you. It must’ve shorted out, or something. You screamed and . . . passed out from the pain.”

Bucky nodded. He moved his shoulder and made a face.

“What is it? Is something wrong?”

“No,” Bucky said. “It’s . . . there’s no pain.”

Steve remembered Tony’s comment that the arm had been a torture device. “That’s good,” Steve said. Inside he thought that Alexander Pierce had died much too quickly for all the pain he’d inflicted on others.

Steve turned at a knock on the window, expecting to see Natasha. It was Tony. He held up Bucky’s metal arm and Steve had to swallow the bile that rose into his throat at the sight of it.

Tony opened the door and entered the room. “I take it you’ve determined that your twincicle doesn’t pose a danger to everyone?”

“Tony!” Steve glanced at Bucky, who was staring at Tony with a resigned expression. Steve took Bucky’s hand to get his attention. “I just wasn’t sure what the electrical shocks might’ve done to your memories.”

Bucky nodded. “You were right to be cautious.” His wary gaze followed Tony as he stepped up to the foot of Bucky’s bed.

“Don’t look so worried, Princess Anna,” Tony said. “I’m not going to have ‘the talk’ while you’re laid up. But I do want to talk to you about this.” Tony hoisted Bucky’s metal arm in front of him.

“What about it?” Steve said when Bucky remained silent.

“I can reattach it,” Tony said. “If you want.”

“Tony!” Steve protested.

“It’s his arm, Steve,” Tony said. “As much as I’d like to take a hammer to this torture device, it’s his choice.”

Steve didn’t like it, but he clamped his lips shut.

“Or,” Tony said.

“Or?”

“I can make you a new one,” Tony offered. “I’ve already started drawing up specs based on this arm, only doing the opposite of everything HYDRA did. It would be lighter, prettier, and it wouldn’t feel like someone was tearing out your soul when you wear it.” Tony set the arm on a rolling tray beside the bed. “Just think about it.”

~*~*~*~

“Why would he do that?” Bucky said after Tony had left them alone.

“What do you mean?”

Bucky gave Steve a look. “You know what I mean. You’ve read the files; you know what I’ve done.”

“Bucky, you didn’t . . .”

“Don’t, Steve.” Bucky looked at his hand, clenched it into a fist. “It was still me, my hands.”

“Okay,” Steve said slowly, mind racing. “That’s true, but it wasn’t you here.” Steve tapped his fingers against Bucky’s temple. “Or here.” Against his chest over his heart. “Where it counts.”

Bucky stared at Steve, then snorted. “They’re still dead.”

Steve took a deep breath, slowly let it out. “You’re right.”

Bucky gave Steve a look. “Well, that’s one for the record books.”

“You being right?”

“You admitting I’m right.”

Before Steve could respond to that, the door was pushed open and a young voice yelled, “Sasha!”

Steve turned and caught Becca just as she launched herself at Bucky. He sat her carefully on the edge of the bed.

Sharon appeared in the doorway, only slightly breathless and disheveled from the run. “Sorry,” Sharon said. “She’s fast.”

“You were supposed to tell me when Sasha woke up,” Becca said, directing her ire at Steve.

“Hey,” Bucky said, deflecting Becca’s anger. “Steve and I had to talk about stuff first.”

“What kind of stuff?”

“None of your business stuff.” Bucky mussed Becca’s hair the same way he used to do with Steve when they were younger. Steve used to hate it. Becca did too if the glare she gave Bucky as she fixed her hair was any indication, but she went easily when Bucky gave her a little nudge. That reminded Steve of himself, too.

Steve left Becca snuggled into Bucky’s side, the two of them speaking softly in Russian, and went over to the doorway. “It’s okay,” Steve said to Sharon. “She is fast.” And if she was anything like Steve, headstrong. His mother would’ve probably found that pretty funny.

“I honestly can’t remember if I thanked you,” Steve said. “For coming.”

“It was my pleasure,” Sharon said. “I needed a break anyway.”

“And you chose this?”

Sharon laughed, and for a brief moment it reminded Steve of Peggy. “It was an enjoyable break from going through all the documents that Agent Romanoff released, to tell you the truth.”

“That’s what they’ve got you doing?”

“My bosses think I’m ‘uniquely qualified’ for the task.” Sharon paused. “I’m probably not supposed to tell you this, but since you could figure it out yourself, we’ve found proof of SHIELD’s – HYDRAs – involvement in several ‘regime changes’. It’s not a huge leap to guess that HYDRA has inserted themselves into those governments, as well.”

Steve forced his arms to remain relaxed at his side. They knew HYDRA had infiltrated the government of the United States, but the fact that they had their tentacles in governments around the world . . .

“It’ll never end,” Steve said, his voice low so he didn’t disturb Bucky and Becca.

“The fact that they’re out there is public knowledge now. You’re not the only one trying to root them out. We’re not even the only _country_ trying to root them out. This isn’t something you have to do all on your own.”

Steve was saved from having to respond by Becca sliding off the bed and storming over to them. Steve braced himself for whatever she might say, but Becca pushed past Steve and Sharon and continued down the hallway.

“Oh, dear,” Sharon said, and followed her.

Steve stared after them, then went over to Bucky. “What was that about?”

“She asked about my arm.” Bucky indicated the arm lying on the metal tray.

“What did you tell her?”

“The truth. An edited version,” Bucky clarified at Steve’s expression. “She’s going to talk to Tony about a new arm that won’t short-circuit and shock me.”

“Oh my god,” Steve said. “I’d love to be there for that.” Then it struck him. “JARVIS?”

“Yes, Captain Rogers?”

“Please tell me you’re recording that.”

“It would be my pleasure, Captain.”

“She’s not afraid of him?” Bucky said.

“Are you kidding?” Steve retook his seat beside the bed. “She’s already the boss of all of us.”

Steve took a breath, then another. The tension eased out of his shoulders and tears burned the back of his eyes. Steve blinked the tears away and looked down at his hands so Bucky wouldn’t see.

“Steve?”

“Yeah?”

“Hey, Steve, look at me.”

Steve shook his head.

“I’m gonna get up.” Bucky shifted in the bed.

Steve’s head came up. “Don’t you dare.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

“That’s an awful lot of tears for nothing.”

“Shut up, jerk.”

“Punk,” Bucky retorted. “Seriously, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” Steve said. “I think it’s just . . . hitting me now that you’re alright. I was . . . worried. You screamed, and you were unconscious for so long. I’m just happy that you’re alright.”

“You got a weird way of showing it, pal.”

Steve snorted a wet laugh. “Yeah, sorry.”

Bucky stilled, then nodded towards the door. “We’ve got company.”

Now that he’d been alerted, Steve heard movement in the corridor. He walked over to the doorway and stilled at what he saw. “Hey, DUM-E.”

DUM-E beeped in response.

“Hey, Stevie.”

Stevie gurgled and waved one hand at Steve. Steve took a reflexive step forward, but Stevie put his hand back onto DUM-E’s head? Body?

“You know, I’m not sure he needs your help learning how to walk,” Steve told DUM-E. Stevie and Becca were already growing so fast due to the serum.

Steve finally greeted the adult accompanying Stevie and DUM-E. “Hey, Sam. You got roped into babysitting?”

“Nah,” Sam said. “Tony wants to make sure my leg’s still doing alright, so I volunteered to escort them.”

“Thanks.”

“No problem, man. How’s Barnes doing?”

“He’s awake,” Steve said, unable to keep the relief out of his voice.

Sam clapped Steve on the shoulder. “I’m happy to hear it. I’ll check on you later.”

“Count on it.” Steve followed DUM-E and Stevie into the room. Bucky was staring at Stevie with wide eyes. He glanced at Steve, then returned his gaze to Stevie, who was now standing up, holding onto the edge of the bed.

“How can he look even more like you now?” Bucky reached over the side of the bed and hooked his hand under Stevie’s butt, lifted him.

Stevie clutched at Bucky’s arm, then dove forward and landed on Bucky’s chest. Bucky’s ability to move quickly was the only thing that kept Stevie from banging his head into Bucky’s chin.

“Hey, kid,” Bucky said.

Stevie sat on Bucky’s chest and burbled back at him.

DUM-E beeped and swung around in a circle. Steve patted the top of the robot as he sat in the chair. DUM-E powered down and waited for Stevie. Steve blinked back tears as he watched Bucky stare at Stevie with wonder in his eyes.

~*~*~*~

When Bucky was finally pronounced healthy enough to get out of bed later that day, his first stop was Tony’s lab. Alone. Steve bit back a protest and gave Bucky’s hand a light squeeze, then herded the kids to the communal kitchen. He made lunch for Becca and Stevie and tried not to fret about what Tony was saying to Bucky. After lunch Stevie was put down for his nap and Becca roped Sharon into taking her to the gym for some tumbling. Steve was cleaning up from their lunch when Sam appeared with Bucky.

“Hey . . . guys,” Steve said. “Hungry?” he asked, instead of the million questions on the tip of his tongue.”

“What’s that?” Bucky said, indicating the leftovers from Becca’s lunch.

“Macaroni and cheese,” Steve said.

Sam made a face. “From a box.”

Steve glared. “Becca loves it.”

“What’s the green stuff?”

“Broccoli,” Steve said. “I chop it up and add it to the mac and cheese so Becca gets some vegetable. Wanna try it?”

There wasn’t much left because Becca already had a super-sized appetite and could eat nearly the entire box by herself, but Steve heated up the remainder in a bowl in the microwave and handed it to Bucky with a fork.

Bucky took one bite, savored the flavor for a moment, then took another. “I don’t know if I’m really hungry or if this is really that good.”

“You’re really hungry,” Sam said as he searched the refrigerator. “I’ll make you a homemade mac and cheese and you’ll never look at the boxed crap twice.”

Steve shook his head at Bucky behind Sam’s back.

“What’s that, Rogers?”

Caught, Steve said, “Becca doesn’t like it.”

“That’s because she has a child’s palate and I don’t make my special mac and cheese with Velveeta.”

“Velveeta?” Bucky said. “They still make that?”

“Yeah, Buck,” Steve said. “Want me to make you a Velveeta sandwich?”

Sam made a choking sound. “I can’t believe what I’m hearing right now. No. No Velveeta sandwiches.”

“They’re good,” Bucky said.

“Are you fucking with me?” Sam said after he put two slices of pizza on a plate in the microwave. “Because I can’t deal with you two right now if you’re serious.”

“What’s that?” Bucky said, indicating the remaining slices of pizza instead of answering Sam’s question.

“Leftover pizza. Want some?”

“What’s on it?”

“This one is a meat lovers, so it’s got cheese, sausage, pepperoni . . .”

“Is the cheese Velveeta?” Bucky said with a straight face.

“No, the cheese is not . . .” Sam pointed between Bucky and Steve. “If I’d known that the two of you were going to gang up on me like this I wouldn’t have helped you find him.”

“Aww, Sam,” Steve said, unable to hide the laughter in his voice, “don’t be like that.”

Sam took the plate out of the microwave before it dinged and carried it, a handful of napkins and a soda into the living room. “I’m gonna watch my soap now, so don’t any of you fools bother me.”

Steve and Bucky shared a look and Steve tried to stifle his laughter so Sam didn’t hear. “Do you want some pizza?” Steve said when he could speak.

“Hell yes,” Bucky said. “I haven’t had pizza in . . .”

After a moment of awkward silence, Steve grabbed two plates and loaded two slices of pizza onto each. He put one into the microwave to heat and set it in front of Bucky when it was done. Steve watched Bucky take a tentative bite while his own plate heated up. After the first taste, Bucky made a sound of pleasure that sent a surge of heat through Steve. He quickly turned to face the microwave.

“This is amazing,” Bucky said.

“Wait ‘til you try it fresh,” Steve said.

After they demolished the pizza, Steve found some leftover Thai in the fridge that they finished up. Steve spent most of the time watching Bucky experience the new flavors rather than eating. When they’d slowed down, Steve broached the subject that had been hanging over his head since he’d left Bucky outside Tony’s lab.

“How’d it go? With Tony, I mean.”

“Fine,” Bucky said.

“Fine,” Steve repeated. He wanted to demand answers, but reminded himself that Bucky had the right to privacy if he wanted it, especially after everything that had happened to him, how HYDRA had denied him agency for seventy years. Steve bit his lip in an attempt to keep from blurting out a request for more information.

“He told me I could stay here as long as I wanted to.”

Steve’s gaze shot up to Bucky’s face. “He did? What about . . . ?” 

“He hasn’t forgiven me,” Bucky said.

“What?”

“Steve,” Bucky said. “I killed his parents.”

“No! No, you . . .”

“Please don’t make light of his loss.”

“I’m not!”

“I know you want to protect me, but you can’t protect me from everything I did.”

“I can try,” Steve said mulishly.

Bucky shook his head with fond exasperation. “He measured me for a new arm.”

“Measured you?”

“Yeah. Apparently the other arm was not only too heavy, it hadn’t been made specifically for me, which is part of the reason it . . .”

“Hurt,” Steve finished.

Bucky nodded.

“I’m so sorry . . .”

Bucky’s eyes flashed. “You need to stop apologizing.”

“Sor–.”

Bucky and Steve stared at each other until Steve mimed zipping his lips. Bucky snorted. “That’ll be the day.” Bucky carried his empty plate to the sink. While his back was to Steve, he said, “Tony also took a DNA sample.”

“A DNA sample? Did he, did he tell you why?”

Bucky turned around and gave Steve a look. “What do you know?”

Steve’s chest felt tight and he reached up unconsciously to rub it. Steve hadn’t regretted a single thing about his relationship with Bucky, but he couldn’t deny that he’d occasionally wondered what it would be like to raise a child with Bucky’s eyes, the shape of his mouth.

Instead of laying that all on Bucky without knowing whether it was his DNA that helped create Becca and Stevie, Steve said, “Becca was number thirty-two. HYDRA’s super soldier cloning project began long before I came back. And they used DNA from . . .”

“The Winter Soldiers,” Bucky said tonelessly.

“Yes. Tony’s probably just trying to match your DNA up to the records we got out of the base in Venezuela.”

“Do you know what happened to those . . .”

“According to the records, none of them were viable. I’m sorry, Buck.” Steve didn’t know what he was apologizing for, the fact that Bucky’d been used in ways he hadn’t even known, that none of those attempts had borne fruit, or that he was withholding the truth about Becca and Stevie from Bucky now.

~*~*~*~

A couple days later Bucky said, “I can’t stay.”

“What do you mean?”

“They’ll be looking for me. They’ll want to reacquire the Winter Soldier.”

Steve’s blood ran cold as he imagined whatever head of HYDRA was left using the trigger words on Bucky, making him forget himself again.

“You’re safe here,” Steve said.

“But you’re not,” Bucky said. “And neither are Stevie and Becca. Or anyone else in the Tower, for that matter. If they come for me they’ll find the kids, and they’ll go through anyone to get to them. We can’t let HYDRA have them,” Bucky said earnestly.

“Of course not, Buck . . .”

“I’ve made up my mind, Steve.”

“Okay,” Steve said, relenting much too easily if the suspicious expression on Bucky’s face was any indication. “Then I’m going with you.”

“No.”

“Yes. If you remember anything about me, Buck, I hope you remember that you can’t out-stubborn me.”

“You have to stay here and protect the kids,” Bucky insisted.

“We’ll take them with us. Go underground.”

Bucky stared at Steve as if he was nuts.

“What? Not like you can go after HYDRA until Tony gets your new arm done, anyway. If you’re just going to lay low we can do that together.”

Bucky snorted. “You? Lay low?”

Becca stood up from behind the couch where Steve and Bucky were having their conversation, startling Steve so that he clutched his chest and had to bite off a curse before it escaped his mouth.

“I’m going with Sasha,” Becca announced.

“How long have you been there?” Bucky said. 

“Weren’t you in the gym with Pepper doing tumbling or something?” Steve said.

Becca shrugged. “It got boring and Natasha refused to show me how to throw knives.”

“Oh my god.” Steve buried his face in his hands.

“This is all you,” Bucky said, then turned back to Becca. “Where’s Stevie?”

“He’s still in the gym. He doesn’t get as bored as me.”

“Okay,” Steve said, thinking he’d have to get Becca set up with a home schooling program sooner rather than later. “Becca, Bucky and I need to finish our conversation. Alone.”

Becca looked between them. “Okay.” She headed towards the bedroom she shared with Stevie.

“Where are you going?” Steve said.

“To pack.”

“I knew she gave in too easily.” Steve looked to Bucky for help, but he had a bemused expression on his face.

“Your mother would _love_ this,” Bucky said.

“Shut up.”

~*~

“Bucky’s worried about HYDRA finding the kids here,” Steve said to Tony.

“And well he should be. We’ve already blocked half a dozen incursion attempts into our system since we brought him back to the Tower. One, maybe two, were probably competitors, but the rest were definitely HYDRA.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means they’re looking for information,” Tony said. “Either they’re on a fishing expedition or looking for proof of what they already believe is true.”

Steve felt a burst of panic. “You think they know Bucky brought the kids here?”

“I think word got out that we were assisting your BFF in Bucharest and they drew their own conclusions from there.”

“They think Bucky’s here. And if Bucky’s here, the kids might be here.”

“How badly do they want him back?”

“Pretty badly,” Steve said. “Especially after the destruction he’s wrought. And the fact that he stole two super children out from under their noses.”

“Then I’m guessing that’s who they’re looking for.”

A plan slowly started to take shape. “Do you think you can let HYDRA think they got in?”

Tony studied Steve. “What are you thinking?”

~*~

This time Bucky was left behind when Steve went out to destroy some HYDRA bases. He liked it about as much as Steve had liked being side-lined.

“The point is to make HYDRA think we’re still looking for you,” Steve said.

“Or maybe they’re just waiting for you to leave the Tower undefended,” Bucky said.

“We’re not leaving the Tower undefended. Even with one arm you’re better than ten HYDRA agents. Plus you’ve got Sharon and Maria for back-up, and if things get really ugly, Hulk.”

“Hey!” Tony said.

Steve bit back a grin. “Oh, yeah, and Tony. Besides,” Steve said, all seriousness now. “Becca would have my head if you left again already.”

“You need to be smarter than the two year old, Steve.”

“Sure,” Steve said, glancing down at the sparkly pink tips of Bucky’s fingers where Becca had taken the nail bed as a general suggestion when she polished them.

Bucky raised his hand. “This is all part of my evil plan,” he said with a straight face.

Steve clapped Bucky on the shoulder. “This’ll give you time to pin down the details.”

Steve didn’t give himself time to think about how much he really didn’t want to leave Bucky. He gave Bucky a mock salute instead of the hug he really wanted to give him, said, “Thanks, guys,” to Maria and Tony, who’d also come to see them off, then walked up the ramp of the Quinjet where Natasha and Sam already waited for him.

Steve thought about Becca as he ran through the start-up procedure, and her very serious promise to look after Bucky while he was gone. Steve put in the coordinates and they lifted off.

~*~

They hit three bases in a week. Steve made a point of speaking in a low voice where he could be ‘accidentally’ overheard, telling Sam and Natasha to get everything off the computers so they could figure out where Bucky might’ve gone to ground after being injured.

One base had a lab that held the object of some of Steve’s worse nightmares – another chair. There Steve loudly questioned the scientists and so-called doctors about what the chair did to Bucky before taking great pleasure in destroying it.

By the time they returned to the Tower, the cyber incursions – and two attempts to gain access to the upper floors of the Tower no one had told Steve about until he returned home – had lessened, but not dropped off entirely.

“I’d be more suspicious if they did,” Tony said. “At least this way we know they haven’t found what they’re looking for.

Steve thought that was a small consolation.

~*~*~*~

Steve stayed at the Tower for the next week, except for when he was called out with the team to stop a series of bank robberies carried out by mechanical birds that were close enough in design to Redwing (though clearly inferior, according to both Tony and Sam), to have Tony ranting.

“Got the results of the DNA test while you were gone,” Tony said to Steve one day when he’d accompanied Bucky to the lab to check out the new arm Tony was working on.

Steve had been studying the prototype Tony was attaching to Bucky’s shoulder, but his heart started beating so fast he couldn’t concentrate on it. “Tony . . .”

“You’ll be happy to know that baby daddy numero dos has been identified.”

Steve’s gaze jumped to Tony’s face. He was afraid to breathe. “What?”

“Breezly, here, was a match.”

“A match,” Steve repeated.

“What’s he talking about?” Bucky said.

Steve swallowed hard and looked at Bucky.

When Steve didn’t speak right away, Tony took it upon himself to respond. “Becca and Stevie are basically clones. They tried to create their own super soldier by creating a clone of an existing super soldier.”

“And what does that have to do with me?”

“They started with their own soldiers,” Tony said, stepping back to examine the arm. “But single-source clones were too volatile. Even when they got their hands on Cap’s DNA. But they discovered . . . .” Tony paused speaking to make an adjustment. “. . . that if they used two sources of super soldier DNA, the result was more stable.”

“What’s he saying?” Bucky directed to Steve.

“I’m saying that Becca and Stevie have two daddies,” Tony said. “And they’re both in this room right now.”

Bucky stared straight ahead, eyes blinking fast.

“Tony, step back,” Steve said.

Tony moved slowly so he didn’t startle Bucky. Steve stepped in to take his place near Bucky. “Buck?”

Bucky’s gaze found Steve’s. “Did you know?”

“That there were two types of DNA, yes,” Steve said, “but not that it was you.”

“That’s why Tony took my DNA to test.”

“Yes.”

“Why didn’t you tell me then?”

“I didn’t want to get your hopes up if it turned out not to be you.” Or his own hopes. “I’m happy that it is, though,” Steve said.

Bucky frowned. “Why?”

“Because if I was going to father children with anyone, I’d want it to be you, Buck.” Steve tried not to feel hurt when Bucky didn’t return the sentiment. It sucked being the only person who remembered a shared past.

“I know this is a shock,” Steve said, trying not to let his own hurt show. “Keep in mind that it was kind of a shock to me when you showed up with, not one, but two, children who bore a striking resemblance to me.”

“I guess it would’ve been,” Bucky said. “They’re part me, too?”

“Yes.” Steve squeezed Bucky’s arm. “We’ll figure it out.”

Bucky nodded, still looking a little shell-shocked.

“You okay to run some tests, or do you want me to remove the arm?” Tony said from a cautious distance.

“Tests,” Bucky said firmly.

~*~

Steve spent a lot of time watching Bucky. He’d thought he was being covert, but from the looks Natasha and Sam (and Bucky) gave him, that was not the case. Steve filled a drawing pad with sketches of Bucky.

In some he was alone – staring pensively out the large windows, curled up on the floor in a patch of sunlight like a cat, asleep on the couch halfway through a movie. Some included Becca and Stevie – Bucky and Becca on their knees, encouraging Stevie to walk across the floor with DUM-E’s help; Bucky with oatmeal and applesauce in his hair when he tried to feed Stevie, which had made Becca laugh until she cried; Bucky with both kids sprawled on him when all three had fallen asleep during movie time.

One night, after the kids were in bed, Bucky said, “Did you think about it before? Having kids,” he clarified at Steve’s expression.

Heat climbed up Steve’s neck. “That’s a difficult question to answer,” he said.

“Why?”

“Because I don’t know if you remember . . .” Steve swallowed hard. “Everything. About. Before the war.”

“Like us?”

Steve’s chest felt like a vise squeezing his heart. “Us?”

Bucky raised an eyebrow. “Gonna make me spell it out?”

“I think, um . . .”

“How long were we together?” Bucky said.

Tears burned the back of Steve’s eyes. Bucky remembered. Of course, that didn’t mean he wanted that now, but at least he remembered . . . them.

“The first time you kissed me, I was seventeen,” Steve said. “I’d just gotten into another fight and you had to come wading in to my rescue. We argued. You were mad at me for starting a fight, I was mad at you for not letting me finish it. Even though I was getting my ass handed to me. And then you just . . . kissed me.”

Steve closed his eyes to better savor the memory. “The argument was forgotten because we were both so stunned. It took a month for us to work up the courage to do it again.”

Steve raised his eyes to Bucky’s face. “I knew we couldn’t have children, but there were times I dreamed about a little boy or girl with your hair and your eyes.”

Bucky’s eyes were wide and round as he stared at Steve. He blinked and when he looked back at Steve the wonder, surprise, was gone. “I think I’m gonna . . .” Bucky gestured towards the bedrooms.

“Okay, Buck,” Steve said, hoping he didn’t sound as disappointed as he felt about Bucky’s reaction to Steve’s heartfelt reveal.

Bucky rose to his feet and hesitated. “Can I . . . ?”

Steve’s heart thudded in his chest. “Anything, Buck,” Steve said, trying to keep his voice light.

Bucky stepped closer to Steve and leaned over the couch. He brushed his lips across Steve’s, and Steve had to force himself to not take more than Bucky was offering. Bucky straightened, the wonder and surprise back in his eyes, and turned towards the bedrooms.

Steve waited, keeping his breathing as steady as he could, until Bucky had closed the door behind him. Steve reached up and touched his fingers to his lips.

~*~

Steve tried not to think about the kiss too much. Especially since it hadn’t been repeated. He continued to sketch Bucky, unable to stop trying to catch every smile that crossed Bucky’s face. Steve couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen Bucky smile.

Bucky hadn’t smiled during their missions to destroy the HYDRA bases, nor when he was in the same room with any of the other Avengers. But Becca and Stevie could draw smiles out of Bucky, and even the occasional laugh. It made Steve wonder if Bucky still needed the fight. Whether _Steve_ needed the fight anymore. Or whether he, they, could fight for something different now.

A couple nights after the kiss Steve asked Bucky if he wanted to keep fighting.

Bucky snorted. “You’re one to talk.”

“I’m serious.”

Bucky sighed. “Steve, no one will be safe until HYDRA’s gone.”

“That’s true. But HYDRA’s being besieged from all sides. If we gave Coulson the information about the bases, he’d take care of them.”

“The kids . . .”

“Becca and Stevie will be safe,” Steve said. “I, Bucky, I have an idea.”

Bucky raised an eyebrow.

“Coulson’s nu!SHIELD . . .”

Bucky huffed at the nick name Steve couldn’t stop using even though he was very close to forgiving Coulson for rebuilding SHIELD after Steve had done everything in his power to take it down.

“. . . is working out of a secret base Fury set up before all of this went down with HYDRA being inside SHIELD . . .”

“Because he knew?” Bucky said, outraged.

“Because he’s a paranoid bastard,” Steve said, “but that’s not the point. The point is, that’s not the only base. If I ask Coulson . . . I think, no, I know, he’d let us use one. You, me, and the kids. We’d be completely off the grid.”

Bucky was silent so long that Steve started having second thoughts. “I mean, you don’t . . . I assumed . . . I don’t know if you . . .”

“Steve,” Bucky said, interrupting Steve’s babbling. “I . . . give me some time to think about it.”

“Yeah, sure,” Steve said. It wasn’t a yes, but it wasn’t a no, either. “Of course.”

Steve didn’t sleep that night. He was nursing his second cup of coffee after an hour in the gym the following morning when Bucky came out of the bedroom, fully dressed.

“I want to hear more,” Bucky said after Steve poured him a cup of coffee and he’d taken a sip of it.

“Yes, of course, Bucky.”

~*~

Two weeks later the Winter Soldier was presumed killed when a HYDRA base exploded with him still inside it.

~*~*~*~

Steve went to Natasha with his idea to get her input.

“Coulson would do it,” Natasha said. “For you and Barnes and the kids. But let me make a call.”

“I’ve put out some feelers,” Steve told Bucky later that day. “Even if you and I stay in the fight, the kids need to be someplace safe.”

“They need to be with you,” Bucky said. “ _You’re_ supposed to keep them safe.”

“They need you as much as they need me, Buck. But they can’t stay here in any case. As long as HYDRA has a record of them this will continue to be the first place they look. We need a safe house for them now. It’s either with both of us, or without either one of us – that’s the only way they’ll be safe. Plus, you’re stuck with me now. If you continue to go after HYDRA, you’re not doing it alone.”

Bucky looked frustrated enough to punch Steve in the mouth. It wouldn’t be the first time. But when Bucky’s gaze fell to Steve’s lips, Steve didn’t get the feeling Bucky wanted to punch him. Steve’s heart started to gallop in his chest.

Bucky turned his face away from Steve and looked out the window. “Fine,” Bucky said, turning back. “How do we do this?”

~*~

Clint showed up at the Tower the next day and met with Steve, Bucky and Natasha. “Listen, I’d trust Phil with my life and, frankly, yours, which is by turns hot and disturbing . . .”

Bucky gave Steve a raised eyebrow that drew heat to Steve’s cheeks.

“. . . and his team is alright, but SHIELD is growing, and it’s an organization, not a small group of people who have your best interests at heart.”

“What are you saying?” Steve said.

“I think you should find a safe house without SHIELD’s involvement. I know a guy who might be able to help,” Clint said. “I met him and his partner when I was on an op in Chicago. He’s very trustworthy. Might even give you a run for your money,” Clint told Steve. “Let me give him a call.”

“You really think this is a better option?” Steve said.

“I do. You want off the radar, this’ll keep you off _everyone’s_ radar.”

Steve glanced at Bucky. Their eyes met and Steve’s heart started beating faster. When he could drag his eyes away from Bucky’s, Steve told Clint, “Make the call.”

“You’ll need a secure line,” Natasha said.

“Yeah, I’ll have Tony set me up. Before I call, though,” Clint directed to Steve and Bucky. “How do you feel about Canada?”

~*~

While they waited to hear back from Clint’s friend, Steve took Bucky to the gym, they spent extra time with the kids and they went over the intel they had on the remaining HYDRA bases in preparation for handing it all over to Coulson. Things took on more urgency when Clint dropped by on the excuse of giving Becca another archery lesson to tell them that everything was set with his contact in Canada.

“There are so many ways this could go wrong,” Bucky said that night.

“I know. But it won’t.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“I have to be.”

“Sometimes your positivity is annoying.”

“I know that, too,” Steve said.

During the evening Bucky’s gaze kept dropping to Steve’s mouth. He’d look away for a few minutes, and then his gaze would return. Steve tried to remain unaffected, but it was impossible. Finally Bucky said, “Can I try something?”

“Yes, Buck, of course,” Steve said, with more feeling than he’d meant to.

Bucky brushed their lips together again, softly at first, and then harder. Steve made a sound when Bucky’s tongue slid across his lips. He let Bucky lead, not wanting to scare him off, but couldn’t stop himself from parting his lips so that his own tongue touched Bucky’s.

Bucky pulled back and looked at Steve’s mouth. Steve wondered if his lips were as red and swollen as they felt.

“Goodnight,” Bucky said.

“Goodnight.” Steve waited until Bucky’s bedroom door closed before squeezing himself with a choked off moan.

~*~

Steve, Bucky, Sam and Natasha, with the assistance of Maria and Clint, planned their final mission. Tony finished Bucky’s new arm, created the necessary paperwork that they’d need in Canada and weighed in on the mission.

Bucky would go in first, with the other three following him as they’d done for so long, making it appear that they were still searching for Bucky, always one step behind him. While they were on this very public mission and all eyes were on them, Becca and Stevie would be moved from the Tower.

They reviewed the plans every day for five days, going over each detail again and again, fine tuning the plan to make sure that nothing was missed. That nothing could possibly go wrong. The night before the mission Steve and Bucky sat Becca down and explained to her that they were going to make sure HYDRA never found them again.

Becca was upset that they were going on another mission without her, but they promised it was the last one, and when they were done they’d all be together. And safe. Becca made them both pinky swear before she let Bucky tuck her in for the night.

Steve had his head in his hands when Bucky returned to the living room. Bucky didn’t speak for a while, and Steve could hear him pacing. Finally Bucky stopped moving.

“This is really the last one?” Bucky said.

Steve raised his head. “The last mission?”

Bucky hesitated, then nodded.

“Of course, Buck.”

“You’re really gonna be able to leave the shield behind?”

“Yes. Bucky, yes. Between the shield on one hand, and you and the kids on the other, there’s no contest. I will always choose you.”

Bucky’s lips moved like he wanted to smile but still wasn’t entirely convinced. Bucky glanced at Steve through the hair that had fallen out of the neat man bun it had started out in that morning. “Can I try something?”

Steve’s mouth went dry. He nodded, swallowing to wet his mouth. “Yes, Bucky, of course. Anything,” Steve added, breathless.

Bucky walked over to the couch. Instead of sitting beside Steve, he straddled Steve’s legs. Steve clenched his teeth to bite back a moan. He tipped his head back. A silent invitation.

Bucky lowered his head slowly, watching Steve’s reaction each second. Only when the arousal burning in Steve’s belly started to turn to frustration did their lips meet. The kiss was chaste and Steve had to clench his hands into fists to keep from reaching for Bucky, from taking more than Bucky was willing to give.

As if he felt the taut pull of Steve’s muscles, Bucky stroked a hand down Steve’s throat. He pressed his tongue against Steve’s lips, seeking entrance. Steve willingly, eagerly, parted them. Bucky teased his tongue against Steve’s, then pressed his thumb against Steve’s jaw to tilt his head back and deepen the kiss.

Steve groaned and his hands clamped on Bucky’s hips, drew him closer. Before their hips met, Bucky raised his head. He brushed his thumb across Steve’s hot, swollen lips. Bucky pressed his thumb against Steve’s lips and Steve took it into his mouth and sucked on the tip. Bucky continued to watch Steve’s reaction as he reached between them and pressed his metal palm against the hardness in Steve’s pants. Steve moaned and bit down on Bucky’s thumb.

“Is this for me?” Bucky said, stroking Steve through his pants.

Steve panted and pushed against Bucky’s hand. He turned his head to release Bucky’s thumb. “Jerk,” Steve gasped. “You know it is.”

“I have a memory,” Bucky said. It felt like a change of subject, but Bucky’s hand didn’t stop moving on Steve. “Before the war, before the serum.” Bucky’s gaze took in all of Steve’s new form. “You used to like to ride me,” Bucky said with an innocent look. “Is that true?”

Steve made a sound deep in his throat at the memory. “God, you really are a jerk. Yes, yes, it’s true.”

“Did you still like to ride me after the serum?” Bucky said.

Steve was so hot he thought he might combust. “Yes. I loved it.”

Bucky made a sound as if he hadn’t quite expected that answer, and shifted his hips closer to Steve. “Do you think you’d still like it?” Bucky said, the soft question a counterpoint to the way he writhed in Steve’s lap, trying to get closer to him despite his own hand in the way.

Steve had to swallow before he could speak. “Yes,” he said. “Yes, I think I would.”

Steve felt cold when Bucky released him and climbed off his lap. Bucky held out his hand and Steve took it. Steve’s head swam when he stood, possibly because all the blood had rushed south. He followed Bucky to the bedroom that Bucky had been using and wondered what else Bucky might’ve remembered.

~*~*~*~

The print papers and television news programs carried headlines that blared out _Winter Soldier Dies Fighting HYDRA_ and _Sergeant James Barnes Finally Laid to Rest: 70 Years After Fall From Train_.

Pepper put out a press release that bought Steve forty-eight hours before he had to make a statement. The emotions Steve showed when he talked about losing his best friend a second time were very real. All Steve had to do was channel the pain he’d felt when Bucky had fallen from the train, and when Steve had come face-to-face with the Winter Soldier and realized that HYDRA had been using, torturing, Bucky for the past seventy years.

If that hadn’t been enough, the memory of having to watch Bucky run back into the base to retrieve something they’d ‘forgotten’ would’ve done the trick. Steve hadn’t been faking when he’d yelled for Bucky, begging him to not go back inside. When he’d fought Natasha and Sam, who’d held him back when he tried to follow. They’d planned everything down to the second, but what if something went wrong? What if Bucky didn’t make it out of the base before the first explosion went off?

At the end of his speech Steve made the surprising announcement that he was stepping down as Captain America, saying, “I never took the time to grieve the first time I lost Bucky. I need to do that now.”

Reporters shouted questions about who was going to carry the shield.

“I’ve given my recommendation, but it’s ultimately up to the rest of the Avengers,” Steve said. He had no doubt that they’d follow his suggestion and give the shield to Sam.

Steve made a move to turn the podium over to Pepper when someone asked, “What are you going to do?”

Steve paused. “I think I might travel,” he said. “Bucky always wanted to go to the Grand Canyon after the war, so I guess I’ll start there.”

This time when Steve stepped back he didn’t stop to answer any more questions. Pepper expertly took over the podium and let Steve disappear back into the tower.

~*~

The following morning Steve got on his bike with only what would fit in the side saddles. He took NY-495 southwest out of Manhattan, following the route he’d found on Mapquest and saved on his phone in case anyone went searching. Steve still had his phone on him; at Tony’s suggestion he left it on so that, if they were watching, HYDRA could follow his progress. Steve wanted to drive straight through, but he knew he needed to be seen; it was the only way to make sure Bucky, Becca and Stevie stayed safe.

After nearly four hours on the road, Steve stopped in Harrisburg, PA to check out the National Civil War Museum and get an early lunch. He continued on and spent the night in Columbus, OH, heading back out the next morning after a hearty breakfast. Steve stopped at the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art in Indianapolis and explored long enough to make sure that, after getting an early lunch, he pulled up to the pumps at a Quik Trip gas station in St. Louis by mid-afternoon.

Steve filled up the tank and went inside to pay. He met Trip in the bathroom and traded his leather jacket with the phone in the pocket for a blue button-down with the name of a laundry company on the pocket and a matching ball cap. Steve tucked the burner phone Trip gave him into the front pocket of his jeans.

Trip shook Steve’s hand, then activated the holographic projector that would make Trip look like Steve Rogers during the short walk back to the motorcycle. If anyone was following Steve, they’d think it was him putting on the helmet and driving away, continuing on 44 towards his final destination of Grand Canyon Village, AZ.

Steve gave Trip (and whoever might be following him) five minutes before stepping out of the bathroom and heading for the panel truck parked out front. Steve got in the passenger side and glanced at Sam in the driver’s seat. The truck pulled carefully out into traffic and headed north on 55 to Springfield, IL.

They stopped at a Motel 6 where Steve used a keycard Sam had given him to access a room on the first floor while Sam made a laundry delivery to maintain his cover. (Someone was going to be very confused when they discovered the extra towels.) They’d already said goodbye, so Steve just squeezed Sam’s arm before sliding out of the van.

Natasha was waiting when Steve used the card to enter the motel room. She helped Steve dye his hair so that it was closer to light brown than blond and combed some ‘Just For Men’ through the slight beard that had grown in over the past couple of days. Steve also swapped out the button-down for a long-sleeved thermal shirt with a plaid flannel over it. He kept his jeans and boots, but there was a faded canvas jacket hanging over the back of a chair that would help him blend in.

They ordered take-out and Steve attempted to get some rest while they waited for their rendezvous time. When it was time to leave, Natasha handed him a ball cap with a Toronto Maple Leaf’s logo. Steve gave her a look, which earned him a grin, and put it on. Natasha drove Steve to Centennial Park. She flashed her headlights and two blinks of a flashlight responded.

They both got out of the car and met in front. Steve gave Natasha a hug goodbye and a soft thank you, then walked alone into the park where Clint waited with the Quinjet to take him to Canada and to Bucky, Becca and Stevie.

~*~

The flight to the Northern Territories took two hours. Clint wasn’t much of a talker, for which Steve was grateful because he was too nervous about seeing Bucky again to make small talk. Steve closed his eyes and replayed the night before the mission. It had been . . . everything Steve had hoped for and more. They hadn’t had a chance to talk about it the next morning before they had to prep for the mission so Steve didn’t know if Bucky thought they’d made a mistake, or if he’d remembered enough to want to try again with Steve.

“He’s gonna be fucked up for a while,” Clint said, drawing Steve out of his spiraling thoughts.

“What?”

“Barnes,” Clint said. “He’s not gonna believe you when you tell him it wasn’t his fault, but he’s gonna need to hear it anyway.”

Steve stared at Clint in horrified silence. It was only when Clint turned his head to look at Steve, his expression completely open, that Steve got his mouth to work. “Thank you, Clint. I have told him that, and I won’t stop.” Steve paused. “I should’ve told you that more than I did.”

“I had people,” Clint said. “Barnes only has you.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of,” Steve admitted.

“What do you mean?”

“We’re going to be in the middle of nowhere up here and it’ll just be Bucky, me and two kids. What if he gets sick of me?”

“Is it true what they say about the two of you being friends forever?”

Steve didn’t understand the change of subject, but he snorted at the question. “You mean ‘from schoolyard to battlefield’? Yeah. Yes.”

“Did he get sick of you then?”

“Got pretty pissed at me sometimes, but he still put up with me.”

“So what makes you think things would be different this time around?”

“Because a lot has changed since then and he doesn’t remember . . .” _Everything we were to each other._

“Maybe not, but he remembers the important stuff, doesn’t he?”

Steve’s heart thudded in his chest as he recalled what Bucky’d ‘remembered’ the other night. Hopefully Clint wasn’t talking about that. “What do you mean?”

“From what I’ve heard, the sight of your ugly mug broke seventy years of HYDRA conditioning.”

Steve felt a surge of warmth, but shook his head. “That’s a nice thought, but I’m pretty sure it didn’t work that way.” Bucky certainly hadn’t stayed after dragging Steve out of the river, and he’d led Steve a merry chase all over the world.

“And he knew he could trust you with Becca and Stevie.”

“Yeah, but . . .”

Clint waited patiently for Steve to find the words. He knew that Clint wouldn’t judge him for it, so Steve decided to just spit it out. “Bucky wasn’t just my best friend, he was . . . more than that. We were . . .”

“Holy crap! That explains so much,” Clint said at Steve’s look.

“What if he doesn’t want that anymore?”

“What if he doesn’t? You gonna treat him bad because of it?”

“What? No! Of course not!”

“Then what’s the problem?”

“What if he feels really awkward about it and leaves?”

“You think he’s gonna leave you,” Clint said, his tone heavy with disbelief. “After everything he’s done to protect you?”

“Protect _me_?” Steve said. I’ve been chasing him all over Europe and South America!”

“So you were trying to protect each other,” Clint said. “Why do you think he was going after HYDRA?”

“Because of everything they did to him . . .”

“Because of what they nearly forced him to do to you. I don’t think I’d have ever come back from it if I’d hurt Nat or Phil. Barnes was out there taking down HYDRA bases because you wouldn’t be safe until all trace of them was gone.”

Steve’s head spun. “But . . .”

“You know the first thing Barnes said to me when I picked him up after he got out of the base?”

Steve shook his head.

“He said, let Steve know I’m alright.”

The backs of Steve’s eyes burned. “I might have freaked out a little bit when Bucky went back inside,” he admitted. “Like, for real.”

“And Barnes didn’t want you to worry any longer than necessary,” Clint said. “Trust me, he ain’t leaving you.”

Steve fell deep into thought and Clint let him. That night, after they’d (and by ‘they’, Steve meant Bucky) used Steve’s t-shirt to clean them up, Bucky had turned them onto their sides and spooned Steve like they’d done when they shared an apartment in Brooklyn all those years ago.

“I’ve got you,” Bucky said, and the memory of those words now made tears pool in Steve’s eyes. He blinked furiously to keep them from falling. Maybe Bucky remembered more than Steve thought, and maybe whatever Bucky remembered would be enough.

~*~*~*~

Clint didn’t interrupt Steve’s thoughts until they were five minutes out. Steve sat up and paid more attention to the landscape they flew over. He already knew they were many miles away from civilization, the cabin they’d purchased under assumed names being located between the Mackenzie River and the Mackenzie Mountains. The closest communities were Norman Wells to the north and Wrigley to the south, with populations of 778 and 119 respectively. Not large towns at all when you’d grown up in Brooklyn, but perfect when you didn’t want anyone asking any questions.

They passed over rivers and lakes and a surprising lot of trees. Steve could make out white spruce and balsam. He saw a flock of geese heading south and had the thought that they were trading places.

Steve studied the cabin when it came into view. The logs were old, and Steve could see where it had been expanded to make room for a family at some point in the past. In addition, there were several outbuildings, one of which Steve figured would house their vehicles – a four-wheel drive pick-up and two snowmobiles.

The jet ran silent, so no one heard them coming until they landed. Clint had angled them so that the ramp faced the front door to make it easier to unload the supplies they’d brought with them. Steve unbuckled himself before Clint set the jet down so he had to wait an interminable amount of time for the ramp to lower.

Through the gap at the top of the ramp Steve saw Bucky standing on the front porch with Stevie on his hip. Steve drank in the sight of him. As soon as the ramp was low enough, Steve ran down it and leapt off. He raced to Bucky who came down the steps to meet him.

Steve wrapped Bucky and Stevie up in a hug. Bucky’s left arm went around Steve’s waist and he let Steve hold on to him. When Stevie started to squirm, Bucky said, “I’m alright, punk.”

Steve sniffled. “I know you are, jerk. Thank you for making sure I knew. I . . .”

“Might’ve gone a little berserk?” Bucky said with a raised eyebrow.

Steve’s laugh was slightly watery. “Maybe. A little.”

Stevie demanded attention and held his arms out to Steve. Bucky released Stevie into Steve’s arms. It might’ve been Steve’s imagination, but Stevie felt heavier than he had just a few days ago.

[ ](https://imgur.com/AQd3rgb)

“Hey, kiddo,” Steve said, his voice soft. He flushed with pleasure when he finally took in the shirt Stevie was wearing. It was purple and the design on the front said ‘I *double rainbow heart* my dads’. It was one Steve had never seen before. “Where’d he get this shirt?”

Bucky cleared his throat. “It was in the boxes of clothes that Tony and Pepper sent up.”

“That sounds like Tony,” Steve said wryly, but he couldn’t hide his pleasure at Tony’s gesture, and the fact that Bucky had put this particular shirt on Stevie today, when he expected Steve to arrive.

“He actually has that same shirt in three different colors.”

“That also sounds like Tony. I hope he has it in three different sizes,” Steve said, which earned a laugh from Bucky.

“He is growing fast.” Bucky reached out and touched Stevie’s leg. “He missed you,” Bucky said. “I might’ve, too.”

“I missed you, too, Buck.”

Steve stared at Bucky like a sap until Clint interrupted them as he walked past with a box he set on the porch. “Help unloading would be appreciated,” Clint said dryly.

“Sorry, Clint, I . . . ,” Steve began.

“Yeah, yeah. You’re happy to see each other.” Clint looked right at Steve. “I get it.”

After everything Clint and Coulson had gone through because of Loki, Clint might be the only person who really did get it. “I know you do,” Steve said. “Thank you.”

Steve and Bucky followed Clint to the jet. “Where’s Becca?” Steve asked.

“She’s playing with Muppet,” Bucky said. “She’s probably heard you by now and is on her way back to the cabin.”

“Muppet?”

Just then Becca came racing out of the trees that lined the edge of their property with a small wolf chasing her.

“Holy shit, Bucky!” Steve reached for a shield that wasn’t there.

Bucky followed Steve’s gaze and smiled. “That’s Muppet.”

“That’s a muppet?”

“Not _a_ muppet; Muppet’s her name. Bet you can’t guess what movie Becca just watched,” Bucky added dryly.

“Steve!” Becca yelled, then, “Clint!” when she caught sight of him.

Steve’s chest swelled with happiness when Becca veered in his direction. She threw her arms around his legs. Steve placed his hand on Becca’s back and rubbed it in lieu of a hug since he couldn’t bend his knees. Becca seemed taller.

Almost as soon as she was there, Becca was gone. Clint had fortuitously set down the box he’d just unloaded from the jet and he fell to the ground when Becca tackled him. Muppet, who’d gotten a pet from Bucky and stopped to sniff at Steve’s shoes, was now jumping around Becca and Clint, yipping excitedly.

Steve couldn’t help grinning at the sight. Even more when he looked up at Bucky and saw him grinning, too. “So how’d we end up with a wolf cub?” Steve said.

Bucky looked at Steve, the smile still on his face. “Turns out Clint’s friend has a half-wolf that had recently fathered a litter with another wolf.”

“So Muppet’s only, like, three-quarters wolf,” Becca said matter-of-factly from her position sitting on Clint’s stomach. Muppet had discovered Clint’s shoelaces and was tugging on them.

“Help,” Clint said.

Steve and Bucky grinned at each other, then both walked over to Clint’s prone form. Steve set Stevie on Clint’s chest. “We’ll unload the jet, you keep the kids occupied.”

“What? Noooo! Rogers!”

Becca’s cackle drowned out Clint’s cries for help.

~*~

With super soldier strength it didn’t take long for Steve and Bucky to unload the supplies from the jet. It would take longer to unpack everything, but that was a chore for later.

Clint finally extracted himself from the kids and wolf cub and handed Stevie off to Steve. “I should get back before anyone questions my whereabouts.”

“Aww!” Becca said.

“Thank you, Clint.” Steve extended his hand.

“Anytime, Ca–, Steve,” Clint said, catching himself and clasping Steve’s hand.

Clint released Steve’s hand and held his hand out to Bucky. Bucky gave Clint’s hand a look, then took it.

“And you.” Clint went to his knees in front of Becca. “Are you going to keep practicing the bow?”

“I don’t have my bow,” Becca said, giving Clint a sad look.

Clint held up a finger, then disappeared into the jet. He returned with a case that made Becca clutch her hands together beneath her chin and squeal. “You brought my bow!”

“Yes, and no,” Clint said. He knelt to let Becca undo the clasps.

At Becca’s gasp Steve and Bucky both took a step forward.

Clint glanced up. “I told Tony what she needed and Tony made it.”

“Of course he did,” Steve said with a soft smile.

“Can I . . . ?”

“Of course,” Clint said. “It’s yours now.”

Instead of taking the bow out of the case, Becca threw her arms around Clint over it. Clint set down the case so they could have a proper hug, then Becca snatched up the bow and held it to her chest.

“Can I practice now?” Becca asked Bucky and Steve. “Please?” She gave them puppy eyes she only could have learned from Bucky.

“We’ll have to set up some targets in the back,” Bucky said after a glance to gauge Steve’s reaction.

“Okay!” Becca ran over to Steve so she could show her new bow to Stevie, though she refused to let him touch it, and had to firmly tell Muppet that the bow wasn’t for chewing on.

“Clint, that was . . .”

Clint shrugged away the thanks. “Just make sure you practice and take care of your equipment,” he directed to Becca.

“I will!”

“Call me if you need anything,” Clint said to Steve, including Bucky in the offer.

“We will, thank you.”

The four of them stood huddled together as they watched Clint climb into the jet and close the ramp. Clint gave one last wave before disappearing from sight, along with the cloaked jet. They waited until Steve figured they’d given the jet enough time to take off.

Bucky said, “Why don’t we show Steve around?”

Becca glanced at the bow.

“Then we’ll go to the barn and see if we can find a piece of wood to use as a target.”

“Okay!”

Becca put away the bow so Muppet couldn’t get at it and the four of them, Muppet running on ahead, walked towards the cabin that was going to be their home for the foreseeable future.

~*~*~*~

What’s wrong?” Bucky said later that night after the kids had finally gone down.

Steve should’ve been tired – after not having gotten any sleep the night before, spending the afternoon unpacking and exploring their new home, and being introduced to ‘The Muppets Take Manhattan’ before Becca would go to bed – but he was too amped up, despite his reassuring conversation with Clint.

“Nothing,” Steve said too quickly.

“You having second thoughts?”

“What?” Steve whirled to look at Bucky. “No, of course not!” After a pause, Steve said, “You?”

“No. You idiot. Is that what’s got you all worked up?”

“No. Maybe. I mean, this all happened pretty fast. I feel like you just kinda got dragged along in the wake.”

“You think I couldn’t say no to you if I wanted to?” Bucky said with a dangerous lilt.

Steve snorted. “I think you’ve said no to me plenty.” Steve played with the corner of the box he’d just broken down. “I don’t want you to get sick of me, or come to resent me.”

“I didn’t go into this blind, Steve. I remember enough to know that you can be a gigantic pain in my ass.”

Steve rolled his eyes, but didn’t deny it.

“But I also know there’s no place else I’d rather be.”

“Could’ve fooled me,” Steve muttered, thinking of all the time he’d spent chasing after Bucky.

“I had my reasons for not coming in,” Bucky said. “And none of them had anything to do with not wanting to be with you. At least, not after the memories started coming back.”

“I wish I could’ve been there for you, Buck.”

“I know you do. You’re here now, though, right?”

“Yeah, Buck. For as long as you want. Forever, if you’ll have me.”

“I think I just might,” Bucky said. “You tired yet?”

Steve started to say that he wasn’t, but realized suddenly that he was. “Yeah, actually.”

“Great. Me, too. There’s a big bed in the master bedroom that’s too large for one person. And the kids get up hella early, so we need to get as much sleep as we can.”

Bucky extended his hand and Steve took it. Together they walked the cabin and made sure the doors and windows were locked and the lights out. Tomorrow, Bucky had promised, he’d show Steve where he’d set the perimeter alarms. Steve wasn’t the slightest bit worried about intruders – he knew Bucky would’ve done a good job making sure Becca and Stevie were safe.

They took turns in the bathroom and Steve flushed hot when he came out and saw Bucky waiting in the bed for him. Under that bed was a floorboard that could be removed with a little bit of effort. Hidden inside that hole was the red book Bucky’d taken from the base in Bizerte. Maybe one day they’d meet someone who could help remove the trigger words from Bucky’s mind, but until then Steve would keep both Bucky and the book safe.

Steve let his gaze move over Bucky’s chest, the scars and the new arm Tony’d made for Bucky even knowing what the Winter Soldier had done. “Thought we were gonna sleep,” Steve said as he pulled the thermal shirt off over his head.

“Thought a super soldier like you would have more stamina.”

Steve reached for the button of his jeans with fingers that went numb as the flame of desire lit in his belly. “I’ll show you stamina.”

“Will you?” Bucky raised his arms above his head, the sheet pooling over his hips doing nothing to hide the erection beneath it. “How do you feel about role play? Did we ever do that?”

Steve stumbled getting out of his jeans. “Um.”

Bucky looked pleased. “We did?”

“What were you thinking?” Steve said instead of answer the question directly.

“Is it too soon for Captain America and the Winter Soldier?”

“I think it might be,” Steve said wryly as he pulled back the blankets on his side of the bed. The side farthest from the door, naturally. “But that does remind me. Becca doesn’t know that I’m, that I was, Captain America.”

“Is that a problem?”

Steve slipped under the covers. “Only because she thinks Captain America is the enemy of everyone.”

“What?”

“That’s what she said . . . Are you laughing?”

Bucky held up his hand because he was incapable of speech.

“God, you’re such a jerk.”

Bucky shook harder with laughter.

“You’re gonna wake the kids up,” Steve warned with a pout.

“S-so-sorry,” Bucky said.

“Fuck you, Bucky,” Steve said without much heat. It had been so long since he’d seen Bucky laugh, heard the wonderful sound of it, it was almost worth being at his expense.

“Well, I was hoping,” Bucky said, “but I’m not sure either of us has it in ‘im now.”

Steve’s muttered, “You sure don’t,” sent Bucky into another fit of laughter.

“Oh, god,” Bucky groaned when the laughter subsided. He took Steve’s hand and held it between them on the mattress. “We’ll make sure she knows Cap’s one of the good guys.”

Steve squeezed Bucky’s hand in thanks. “You don’t think we’re gonna screw them up, do you?”

“Probably a little.”

“You were supposed to reassure me.”

“That was supposed to be reassuring.”

Steve snorted. He rolled onto his side, not relinquishing Bucky’s hand, and waited for Bucky to do the same so they were facing each other. “I’m glad you’re here with me.”

“So’m I, punk.”

Steve slid his free hand over Bucky’s shoulder and curled it around his neck. “Did you mean what you said before, about me . . . fucking you?”

Bucky’s breath caught. “If that’s something you’d like to do.”

“I really would.” Steve brought their lips together.

Just then Stevie started babbling to himself. Steve shot a baleful glare at the monitor on the night stand. Steve’s fingers twitched as Bucky moved away to put his pants back on.

“I’ll take this one,” Bucky said. He knelt on the mattress and pressed a kiss to Steve’s lips. “You can do the 2am feeding.”

“Thanks,” Steve said dryly. He watched Bucky pad out of the room and listened over the monitor as he talked to Stevie while he changed him, and even sang snippets of a lullaby. Steve stretched and couldn’t stop the smile that split his face. They’d both gone through some tough times, Bucky more than Steve could imagine, or wanted to, but it had brought them both to this point.

There was a time when Steve hadn’t thought he’d ever see Bucky again, and then a time when he thought Bucky would never remember him, remember them, but fate had other plans. And now here they were, together again. It was amazing to Steve how their love had risen from the ashes of both of their ‘deaths’ and resurrections, of everything HYDRA had done to keep them apart.

Steve threw back the blankets and reached for the jeans he’d dropped on the floor. He didn’t want to be in here alone, he wanted to be out there with Bucky, where their future was just starting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you notice my mini-crossover where I don't even mention the name of any characters from the other fandom?!! *g*


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